


True Friends: Re-Written

by HinataOC



Series: Hinata's Journey: Trilogy [1]
Category: Disney - All Media Types, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Canon - Kingdom Hearts I, Destiny Islands, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2018-12-21 15:36:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 166,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11947287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HinataOC/pseuds/HinataOC
Summary: A re-write of my previous story: True Friends. It begins a year before the events of Kingdom Hearts. A girl arrives at Destiny Islands, similarly to the way Kairi does. At this girl's arrival, Kairi begins to question how and why she came to Destiny Islands in the first place. Riku is eager to meet another person from another world and can't wait to learn where this girl came from.Will she be his key to getting off the island?





	1. Interesting Things

Chapter 1

The monologue of the elderly teacher speaking at the front of the classroom echoed through the otherwise silent room, her voice almost sounding as uninterested in the subject matter as her weary pupils. Every student sat at their desk attempting to pay attention to the bland droning of the lecture; all except for a young boy in the back row that was soundly sleeping at his desk. His best friend that was sitting beside him scoffed when he looked over and saw his slumbering friend.

Running his hand through his light purple hair, the boy looked over at a young red headed girl sitting across from him and rolled his eyes. The girl noticed his look and silently giggled. She looked over at their sleeping friend and lightly tugged on the tip of his spikey brown hair. At her prodding, the boy sleepily shook his head and let out a discontented grunt that his nap was being interrupted.

"Sora," The teacher at the front of the class turned around from writing on the chalkboard and glared at the three teens in the back row. "Would you kindly wake up or would you rather another detention?"

Hearing his name, Sora swiftly sat up and tried his best to hide his sleepy eyes. Rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably he forced a grin and stammered, "Oh, um sorry Mrs. Hamasaki. I was just resting my eyes."

Mrs. Hamasaki raised one of her grayed eyebrows at Sora before sighing and turning back to the board. As she continued her lecture, Sora looked over at his friends beside him and noticed that both of them were giving him looks. Yawning, he shrugged and placed his hands behind his neck making his friends shake their heads. Within the next few minutes the bell signaling the end of class rang through the room causing the students to immediately spring out of their chairs in attempt to escape to the outside world. Sora sighed relieved and began packing up his things when he got a smack to the back of his head.

"Ow!" He let out a yelp before looking up to see teal eyes smirking at him. Narrowing his eyebrows he asked, "What was that for Riku?"

Riku scoffed, "Have a good nap?"

Sora sheepishly chuckled and was about to respond when the young red-headed girl stomped up to him with her hands placed firmly on her hips. Glaring at him with a frown she scolded him, "It's bad enough that you sleep in almost every class, but then you go and fall asleep during an optional weekend class that you didn't even have to attend!"

"Oh come on Kairi," Sora defended, standing up to be at her level. "I only came because you and Riku were taking it. Why did you guys want to take a safety class anyways?"

"Don't look at me." Riku told him, waving his hand and looking out a nearby window at their home, Destiny Islands, outside. "I only came because Kairi insisted. I'd rather be practicing my fighting."

Kairi sighed, "Because you two, there are all sorts of useful things we should know about safety. Who knows when it will come in handy!"

"Let's hope you'll never have to use it." Mrs. Hamasaki noted as she approached the group. She looked right at Sora with a slight scowl as she told him, "Young man, if you were not interested in learning, you should not have come." She held out a pink piece of paper and waited until Sora reluctantly took it. "I know this was an optional course, but you are still getting a detention."

As she turned around to walk away, Sora solemnly sat down in his chair and groaned, "Aw man! My mom is going to kill me!"

Riku shook his head and laughed as he grabbed his backpack to leave the classroom. Kairi stayed by Sora and told him, "We'll figure it out Sora. Come on, we better get going."

Sora sighed and stuffed the pink paper into a pocket on his backpack before smiling up at Kairi. "Yeah, let's go to the paopu tree!" He beamed, making Kairi giggle.

The three of them grabbed their things and walked out of the school. As they opened the doors that led outside, their eyes took a moment to adjust to the bright sun. They stood on a dirt path on top of a large hill that went from the school down into the island. Wooden homes were speckled along the hill leading down to the local hospital before reaching the shoreline. The island they were on was one of many; one of them being where the three of them enjoyed hanging out. Many of the residents of the islands thought the particular view was the most beautiful spot in all the islands.

Sora and Kairi smiled as they looked out at the spectacle they had seen almost hundreds of times before. Out in the distance they could see the small island where they hung out almost every day. Giving each other a smile, they immediately went into a sprint, racing each other down the hill. Riku stayed behind in a daze, not even noticing that his friends had run off. He usually was the one at the front of the pack, especially if some sort of competition was involved; but for some reason, he wasn't all there. He looked at the surrounding island and sighed.

As he reluctantly began to move he mumbled under his breath, "This place is like a prison."

Shaking his head as he finally began to make his way down the hill he saw Sora and Kairi running ahead. With a smirk appearing on his face he immediately darted after them, pulling in front of them before either of them knew he was joining in on the race.

"I was wondering where you were, Riku!" Sora laughed until he noticed that Riku was getting ahead of him.

Riku and Sora raced to the shore line at a wooden pier that had multiple rowing boats tethered to it. Leaning his hands on his knees to catch his breath after Riku had already arrived, Sora panted out, "Aw man, now the score's 12 to 3!"

Riku laughed as he knelt down by a boat and began untethering it. "You'll catch up one of these days Sora." He teased as he completely untied the rope connected to his boat. Carefully getting onto the boat as it bobbed in the sparkling ocean water, he asked, "So are we all taking my boat or what?"

"If you'll do the rowing, I'm up for that!" Kairi quipped as she caught up to the boys, out of breath.

"Yeah, you wish!" Riku laughed back, "If you take my boat, you're the one doing the rowing."

Kairi placed one of her arms behind her back and grabbed the forearm of the other as she giggled, "Alright fine, I'll just go with Sora. He'll row for me, won't you Sora?"

Sora jumped up and chimed, "Oh, sure thing!"

Riku noticed the way Sora's cheeks lightly blushed and shook his head with a laugh under his breath. Sitting down in his boat with the oars ready to row he told them, "Well hurry it up lovebirds! We don't have all day!"

Sora's eyes widened as his cheeks darkened. "What? What are you talking about?" He stammered as Kairi untied his boat for him.

Only laughing in response, Riku began rowing his boat towards the nearby island where they always hung out. Sora and Kairi were close behind and soon all three of them reached the small island. Riku tethered his boat to one of the wooden posts along the wooden pier and looked up at his surroundings. A few of their classmates were already running along the golden sands of the beach as couple others were climbing up the multiple tree houses that had been built into the towering trees in the center of the island. Looking over he spotted the place he, Kairi, and Sora always took as their official hangout spot. It was a small circular area that was raised over the ocean waves. A wooden bridge led to the sandy area where a clump of palm trees stood as well as a long bent tree with star shaped fruit, called the paopu tree. Riku stood and stretched his back after he was done tying the rope and smirked as Sora and Kairi approached in their boat.

"Took you guys long enough," He joked, getting a look from Sora.

"Well you didn't have an extra person on your boat!" Sora bit back, giving Kairi an apologetic look when she glared at him.

Riku chuckled and motioned his head towards the paopu tree saying, "Come on, the sun's going to set soon. Wouldn't want to miss seeing the thing we've seen a thousand times before."

Kairi giggled as she hopped out of the boat and began walking to Riku commenting, "I don't think I could ever get tired of seeing the sunset here. It's so beautiful!"

Sora agreed with a smile, "Yeah, this place is great!" as he walked up beside Riku, who just crossed his arms silently.

Chatting with each other about different things they enjoyed about the island, Sora and Kairi made their way to the tree as Riku trailed silently behind. They crossed the bridge and approached their bent tree. Sora and Kairi hopped onto it and sat down beside each other, while Riku placed his hands behind his head and leaned against the trunk. They stared out at the ocean horizon as the lowering sun began to shimmer off the surface. The sky began fading from the bright blue to dark hues of orange and red, reflecting brilliantly off the waves.

Sora and Kairi began chatting about various things that happened that day as Riku remained quiet, seemingly lost in thought.

"Are you alright Riku?" Kairi looked over at him and asked, "You haven't said anything for a few minutes."

Both Sora and Kairi leaned forward to look at their silent friend with concerned looks. Riku sighed and took a couple steps forward.

He ran one of his hands through his hair that almost seemed to glow in the light of the setting sun, before speaking, "I just can't stop thinking about what's out there." Gesturing his arm towards the ocean he continued, "I mean, this place is so small and insignificant. There has to be more." Facing his concerned friends he noted, "We know there has to be something; Kairi couldn't have just fallen from nowhere."

Kairi shivered when Riku mentioned her arrival. The fall thankfully wasn't something she remembered. She had no idea where she was born, but it wasn't Destiny Islands. According to her adopted family she had fallen from the sky in a bright beam that had broken through the clouds and crashed into the ocean. She didn't like to talk about it; however, she had confided to Sora that she was terrified of it happening again. The fact that she had been taken from her home and transported to an unknown world was terrifying, especially since she had no idea why or how it happened.

Sora noticed Kairi's demeanor suddenly change and placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. Kairi looked over at Sora and gave him a small smile of silent thanks.

"We need to find a way to get out of here." Riku continued, not noticing how his previous comment had affected Kairi. Turning his back on them, he continued looking out at the ocean.

Kairi gave Sora a concerned glance and Sora nodded. He slid off of the trunk of the tree and walked up beside Riku. Leaning forward so Riku would see his face, he assured him, "We'll find something someday Riku. The islands aren't so bad."

Riku scoffed, "You're just saying that. You and Kairi don't have any interest in leaving this place."

"When did I say that?" Kairi countered as she also slid off the trunk to approach her friends. "Don't you think I want to find my home someday? Just because I'm not ready to go now doesn't mean I won't ever be."

Crossing his arms, Riku closed his eyes and said, "I guess you're right; but when will you guys be ready? The longer we stay here the more restless I get. This place is just too small. Nothing exciting ever happens here."

Kairi came up between Sora and Riku and reached her arms up around their shoulders. Watching the last sliver of sunlight disappear under the darkened horizon she assured him, "You have to stay positive Riku! At least you have me and Sora!"

Sora nodded and grinned as he added, "Yeah! And we'll be here for you no matter what!"

Riku opened his eyes and looked over at his friends. As he noticed their smiles he smiled back and told them, "Thanks."

Looking up, Riku noticed the stars beginning to appear in the darkening sky. Taking a deep breath he patted Kairi's shoulder before pulling away from her side embrace. "We better head home. Thankfully, we have one more day of the weekend before school starts back up. So we can meet here bright and early tomorrow if you guys want."

"Yeah," Sora agreed as he reluctantly pulled away from Kairi and walked up beside Riku. Lowering his voice once he was next to Riku he asked, "Do you need to stay at my house again tonight?"

Riku looked down at his feet as he absently kicked the sand before replying, "No, I'll be fine. My parents are on some trip to Unmei Island, so I actually have the house to myself."

"So sleepover at your place then" Sora chimed, immediately smiling.

"You wish!" Riku scoffed, "My parents hate it when I have you over and you know that."

Sora stretched his arms into the air and exclaimed, "I spilt my drink one time and I've been exiled! Geez, growing up with parents like them must have been awful!"

"You have no idea." Riku said under his breath.

"You did what now?" Kairi asked as she walked up beside them.

Sora began filling Kairi in on the event as the three of them began walking along the bridge back to their boats so they could make their way home. They reached the main island and Kairi waved goodbye to the boys as they tethered their boats. Sora watched as Kairi walked away before attending to tying the rope.

Riku stood after he was finished and waited for Sora to be done as well.

"You're so quick Riku!" Sora noted as he stood up beside his friend.

Crossing his arms, Riku told him, "Yeah, well I didn't waste time staring after Kairi when she left."

Widening his eyes in embarrassment, Sora stammered, "I-I didn't either!"

Riku laughed and teased, "Uh-huh, sure you didn't." He motioned his head towards the beach that led up to their town and said, "Come on, Saki is probably wondering where you are."

"You want to come over for a while?" Sora suggested as he placed his hands behind his head and walked beside Riku.

Shaking his head, Riku responded, "Not tonight, I'm actually kind of tired."

"Fine" Sora slumped his shoulders, "Go be by yourself then."

Riku smiled but didn't respond. They walked together in silence until they had to take separate roads.

"See you tomorrow!" Sora grinned as he told him farewell and waved his hand.

Lifting a hand in a response, Riku gave him a small smile before turning his back and walking towards his empty home. Coming up to his neighborhood he could see light outpouring from every window and cheerful chatter muffled by the closed doors as he passed every house. Then he came up to the dark dreary building he called his own. The windows were darkened and even the porch light was off, causing Riku to have a hard time finding the right key to fit the lock.

Eventually, he was able to open the door and entered the black darkness that filled his home. Feeling along the wall he found a switch and flipped it on, allowing light to pour into the room and causing him to momentarily cover his eyes until they adjusted. He was standing in the pristine living room. Everything was in its place and dust free, just the way his mom liked it. Standing on a small area of tile that was in the entryway that was in front of the white carpet in the living room, Riku took off his sandy shoes before making his way down the hall to his bedroom. Reaching his room he flicked on the light and saw that his mom had once again rearranged everything in it; so much so that if a guest were to enter they would have no idea he even lived there. It was just the way his parents liked it.

Rolling his eyes, Riku turned around and headed towards the bathroom to wash off his shoes. It was something his mother was adamant about. She hated sand or anything dirty being in the house so she regularly insisted on Riku washing off his shoes when entering the house. Riku and his parents were never on friendly terms; but he rarely went out of his way to disregard their rules. Once he was sure the sand was off his shoes he placed them in the tub so they could dry and made his way back to his bedroom. Grabbing the collar of his shirt to begin taking it off he opened the door to his closet to grab his wooden sword collection; only to find them missing. He narrowed his eyes as his hand tightened around the knob of the door. With harsh movements, he began looking through every drawer and open spot he could think of. When nothing appeared he crossed his arms and asked in an aggravated tone, "Where did she hide them?"

Giving his room a final once-over he stomped out of his bedroom and made his way outside, not caring that he was barefoot. Rocks in the dirt outside cut his feet slightly as he made his way to the side of the house to the blue trash container. Lifting the lid he narrowed his eyes at the contents. There, lying in the empty bin lay a pile of wooden weapons. Cursing under his breath, Riku reached in and grabbed the weapons. The garbage had been emptied earlier that day but a lingering scent of trash had seeped into the wood regardless.

Once he noticed the smell, he gave an annoyed growl and threw the weapons back into the bin. "I'll just make new ones." He grumbled under his breath as he headed back inside the house with his hands dug into the pockets of his black pants.

Slamming the front door behind him, he didn't even bother to wipe the dirt off his feet before making his way back to his bedroom. Opening one of the drawers of his dresser he grabbed a pair of blue pajama pants before turning to make his way to the bathroom. He sighed as he walked into the hallway, noticing his footprints had contaminated the white carpet; but he almost didn't seem to care. Opening the door to the bathroom, he looked in the mirror. He was still wearing his school uniform in a white button down shirt and black dress pants. Even though the safety class was on a weekend, he still was required to wear the uniform. Tugging at the blue plaid tie around his neck he walked further into the bathroom and closed the door behind him so he could take a shower.

Several minutes later he emerged from the steamy room wearing the blue pajama pants. He left his clothes lying on the tiled floor as he dried his hair with a towel and made his way to his room. Entering the room he sat on his bed and looked out his bedside window at the sparkling night sky. The stars scattered along the cloudless sky and the moon was filling the island with a pale light.

Tossing the damp towel onto the ground, Riku placed his hands behind his neck as he lay down, still staring at the endless sky. Yawning, his eyes slowly closed as he mumbled sleepily, "I wonder what's out there…"

The next morning, bright sunlight streaming through the window caused Riku to squint his eyes open. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up and looked at the still slumbering world outside. The surrounding flowers in the garden his mom planted in the front yard were barely unravelling; hesitantly welcoming the new morning as if they weren't yet ready for the day. Turning towards his bedside table he noticed that it was barely five in the morning.

Leaning his head back on his pillow he groaned, "I really need to get some curtains. Not that my parents would ever let me put them up."

He lay there silently for a few minutes before sitting up and swinging his legs off the side of the bed. Stretching, he yawned and stood up. He looked over his room at the dirty towel and brown footprints he had placed the night before. His parents would be livid when they return home and saw what he had done. Sighing, Riku reached down and grabbed the towel off the ground and tossed it in a nearby laundry hamper.

"No need giving them one more reason to hate me." He mumbled under his breath.

Going through his closet he pulled out his regular outfit: a tight fitted yellow and black shirt paired with his navy blue pants. Within a few minutes he was dressed and ready for the day. He stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a blueberry muffin before heading out of the house. Taking a bite of the muffin he readjusted his oversized backpack on his shoulder.

"Might as well start the day, even if it is early," He told himself as he headed towards the market.

As he walked, the surrounding environment slowly began to awaken. One by one the local birds began singing their sweet sounding songs and the flowers were soon in full bloom. Within a few minutes, Riku entered the main shopping plaza of the town; usually bustling with people but now only sparsely filled with the occasional squirrel searching for food and employees making their way to their job. Approaching a red shop with a glass door, Riku pulled on the handle and heard a welcoming bell chime as he entered the building. The dusty smell of wood filled the air as various construction pieces and tools filled the long aisles.

A gruff voice welcomed Riku. "Good morning Riku! Haven't seen you in a while" he noted.

Riku looked over at the register and saw a tall man wearing a green plaid shirt with a scruffy black beard. Smiling, he got straight to the point, "I need to make some more weapons."

"Aye," The man nodded with a smirk, "I thought that would be the only reason you were here. Lucky for you, I still got some wood in the back that I've been saving for you in case you ever wanted to make some more."

Widening his eyes Riku replied, "Really? Thanks; I was thinking I would have to cut my own."

The man laughed, "I'd like to see that. Nah, I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to stay away from weapon making for long so I put some right sized wood aside for you." Turning away he called behind him, "I'll be right back with it."

Riku nodded as he rocked back and forth on his heels. Within a few minutes the man returned to the main lobby of the shop carrying a stack of long, rectangular wooden blocks. Riku smiled as he saw the pieces.

The man placed the wood onto the counter next to his register and told Riku, "Well, here ya go. I hope this helps."

Approaching the counter, Riku swung his backpack in front of him and unzipped it to place the wood inside. As he placed the last block into his bag he asked, "How much do I owe you?"

Waving his hand dismissively the man told him, "Nah, don't worry about it. I saved those specifically for you so it just don't feel right charging ya."

Riku paused momentarily and smiled before zipping up his backpack. Swinging his bag back behind him he told the man, "Well thanks a lot."

"Just make sure to show me the finished product." The man told him with a smile.

"Will do," he promised, making his way to the door.

Readjusting the now-heavier bag on his shoulders, Riku left the store and took a deep breath of the clear air outside the dusty shop. A few people had begun appearing in the marketplace as the sun was going higher in the sky. Riku had no more business in the marketplace and began making his way to the shoreline. Sora and Kairi wouldn't be up for at least a few more hours, especially Sora; so Riku still had more time to spare. Reaching the calm shoreline, he walked onto the pier and tossed his backpack onto his boat before untying the rope connecting it to the wooden post. The ocean waves softly lapped the side of his small boat causing a slight mist of salty water to spray into the air. As Riku finished untying the boat, he carefully got into the rocking vessel and grabbed his oars. He rowed his way to the small distant island and once there he tethered his boat to the pier and grabbed his bag before making his way onto the sandy banks.

Jogging, he crossed the wooden bridge and swung up onto the trunk of the paopu tree. Placing the backpack beside him he pulled out one of the wooden blocks he received as well as a small plastic bag filled with various sized tools. Silently, he grabbed a small sharp blade from the plastic bag and began chipping away at the wood, carving it into a weapon. He sat there for what seemed like hours, getting lost in it.

"There you are Riku!" Sora's voice came up behind him, "Making a new weapon? I thought you made all the ones you wanted?"

Riku looked up from his work, his eyes taking a moment to adjust from sudden movement. In front of the paopu tree stood Sora looking at him confused and Kairi beside him with a smile and her hand behind her back grasping the forearm of the other.

With a sigh he admitted, "I did, but when I got home last night I found that my parents threw them out."

"What? Why?" Sora asked as his eyebrows furrowed.

Riku shrugged and was about to continue when his stomach growled.

Kairi giggled and took a few steps closer to the boys, "Sounds like someone's hungry, when's the last time you ate?"

"Um… this morning, around five I think." Riku said as he looked up at the sky trying to remember.

"Five?" Sora exclaimed, "What in the world were you doing being up that early?"

Placing his things back into his backpack Riku replied, "I'm always up that early Numbskull."

Sora gave him a pout at the name calling but then rubbed his own stomach and noted, "Well I agree with Riku's tummy, I'm starving! Let's go eat something."

"Alright," Kairi agreed, "My family gave me some money for today so lunch is on me!"

Riku smiled at Kairi in thanks as Sora exclaimed, "Alright! Thanks Kairi!"

Placing his bag back on his shoulders, Riku slid off the trunk of the tree and followed his friends to the pier where they got on their boats and made their way back to the main island. As Riku tied his boat to the post he looked up at the sky and noticed something behind some clouds. Standing, he squinted his eyes to get a better look.

"Do you guys see that?" Riku asked his friends as they rowed up beside him.

"What is it?" Kairi asked, hopping out of the boat while Sora tied it up.

Riku pointed towards the sky, "It looks like a falling star, but it's in the middle of the day."

Sora looked up from the rope and cocked his head to the side. Without fully tethering the boat, he quickly stood and agreed, "Yeah I see it too. I wonder what it is."

The three of them stood there staring at the object that was shrouded by the clouds when a deafening sound surged through the still air. A bright beam burst through the clouds and the object they had been watching suddenly shot into the ocean. Riku staggered from the sound as he covered his ears in an attempt to stop their ringing.

"What was that?" Sora yelled loudly, also covering his ears.

"I think something fell from the sky!" Kairi responded pointing towards the ocean.

"Yeah, but what?" Sora asked.

"Only one way to find out," Riku answered before running to the edge of the pier and immediately diving into the ocean.

Gasping for breath as he came up from the salty water he looked at the object in the distance. It was difficult to see clearly as the waves kept it constantly in motion; the only detail Riku could make out was a brilliant red color. Pushing himself against the current he began swimming forward to get closer, every so often pausing to see if he could yet determine what he was after. As he paused to catch his breath he treaded water and gave one last look when he gasped.

Slightly turning his head back towards Sora and Kairi he yelled, "Go get help! I think it's a girl!" Without seeing how either of them reacted, Riku immediately pushed himself to swim as fast as he could to the human being floating unconscious in the water.

Both Sora and Kairi's eyes widened as they heard Riku's words. Sora immediately turned to run towards the hospital grabbing Kairi's wrist to bring her along with him when she didn't move.

"Come on! We need to get help!" Sora told her hurriedly.

Kairi didn't move, her legs almost seemed glued to the wooden pier beneath her as she stared wide eyed at the girl Riku was going after. All she whispered under her breath was, "It's happening again…"

Sora noticed Kairi's immobility but didn't have the time to calm her down. He resigned himself to giving her wrist a supportive squeeze before turning to run for help.

Riku's muscles stung and ached from his sudden endurance, but he was undeterred as he put everything he could against the waves. Gasping for breath, he reached the girl floating in the water and wrapped his arm around her waist. Riku had trouble treading the water without getting his hand tangled in the girl's long red hair that floated around them. Keeping both of their heads above water was proving difficult as the strong current began pushing them under, causing Riku to get a mouth full of salt water. Despite the struggle he pushed himself forward towards the sandy beach, keeping a close eye on his goal. As he reached the shore line a few people had appeared to see what was going on. They murmured to each other as Riku placed his hands under the girl's arms and pulled her along the wet sand until both of them were far enough away from the tide. He put her down on the sand, kneeling beside her and placing two fingers along her neck to check for a pulse; but there was none.

He looked up worried and said, "She isn't breathing."

One of the nearby people watching the ordeal yelled out, "Does anyone know CPR?"

"Wait," Riku said under his breath, feeling his heart drumming in his ears from the adrenaline. "I just learned it at that safety class." Placing his shaking hands on the girl's chest, he shut his eyes tightly as he counted "One, two, three," With every count he pressed down on her chest, trying to get her to catch a breath, seemingly to no avail.

Concern from the forming crowd around them filled the air as the girl's revival seemed less and less likely. Riku ignored their words as he continued the rhythmic motion until with one last press the girl's eyes shot open and she began to cough. Riku sprang back as the girl doubled over spewing salt water that had made its way into her lungs. She gasped for air and fell back onto the sand, very weak but alive. She briefly looked over at Riku's widened eyes before passing out again. Letting out a breath he had been holding, Riku relaxed his muscles and placed his hand over his heart as if it were about to beat out of his chest. The crowd began to cheer and gasp as the girl came to life but Riku simply stared at the girl in front of him oblivious to the praise.

He looked over the girl he had somehow saved. Sand was tangled into her soaked, bright red hair that reached all the way to her hips. A tear was along the waist line of her tight green tank top but her black shorts seemed to be undamaged. Riku's cheeks flushed as he looked her over and swiftly darted his eyes to look elsewhere.

As if on cue, Sora came running up with a line of medics carrying a long white stretcher. The crowd surrounding the girl and Riku parted ways to allow the professionals through. Placing the stretcher on the sand beside the girl, four medics went on either side of her and carefully lifted her on to it. As they picked the stretcher back up, other medics began doing various tests on her to make sure she was stable before bringing her back to the hospital. Riku sat on the sand and watched as everything transpired until Sora came over and offered him a hand to help him up. He strained a smile up at Sora as he stood and looked around at the dispersing crowd.

"I can't believe that just happened." Sora noted and then patted Riku on the back, "Great job! You saved her life!"

Riku nodded numbly before shaking his head and scoffing, "Yeah, well somebody had to save her. Might as well had been me."

Sora laughed, "Humble as ever."

Half-heatedly laughing in return, Riku smiled and watched as a middle aged nurse walked away from the girl's stretcher and over to him and Sora.

The woman pushed a few strands of blonde hair behind her ear and smiled as she approached and congratulated Riku, "Well, that was some fast thinking. I don't know if she would have made it without you. We are going to be keeping her at the clinic for a while so she can recover. Feel free to come visit her. In fact, if she is anything like our last visitor…" She glanced over at Kairi, still standing on the wooden pier watching everything transpire, "She's going to need some people help her get settled into her new life here."

Riku smiled at the nurse and rubbed the back of his neck before replying, "Um… it was nothing really."

"That 'nothing' saved a girl's life!" A young man from the crowd called out towards Riku.

The surrounding people all nodded in agreement and began swarming towards Riku, congratulating him on his bravery. He stood there uncomfortably but also slightly proud as he swiftly got bombarded with questions and praise. Sora took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed and walked over to the pier to check on Kairi, noticing her sullen look as he approached. She had her head pointed downwards as if she were deep in thought and both of her hands were clasped tightly in front of her. Sora walked up to her slowly as if not to startle her. Once he was beside her he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably before asking, "Hey. Are you okay?"

Without looking up Kairi replied, "Is that what happened when I came here? Did someone have to save me?"

Staying silent for a moment, he looked down at the waves lightly lapping the wooden posts of the pier. "I-I don't know," He finally decided to say, "I don't really remember. I was only six when you came here" Getting a sudden smile he leaned down so Kairi could see his face and added, "But I bet we can find someone who does!"

Giving a small smile, Kairi looked up at Sora and nodded as she told him, "I'd like that."


	2. Better Left Alone

Chapter 2

Rays of light slowly basked the island as the sun began to creep its way into the sky. As it rose small streaks of sunlight began to stream through the glass window on the wall leading into Riku's bedroom. Feeling the morning warmth hit his face, Riku quietly groaned before raising his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light. Reluctantly, he opened his teal eyes to see his once darkened room lightened by the sun outside. He rubbed his eyes with his hand as he yawned and looked over at the clock which read that it was five in the morning.

"Just once I would like to sleep in." He mumbled under his breath as he pushed himself to sit up.

Stretching his stiffened muscles he slowly got up from his bed and begrudgingly began getting ready for the day. As he rummaged through his closet he grabbed his school uniform, even though he still had at least three hours before he would need to be in class. He got dressed and made sure to place his pajamas into the nearby laundry hamper as to not mess up the clean floor. His parents would be back from their trip later that day and Riku had made sure to clean up the mess from his rampage a few days prior. Once he was finished preparing for the day, he grabbed his backpack and a quick breakfast before heading out of the house. Closing the front door behind him he took a deep breath of the salty morning air. He was the only one outside as every other person that was not attending their daily job was still slumbering in their beds. The early mornings were the only peaceful times on the island and as much as Riku complained about waking up he would admit to enjoying the quiet.

Riku began walking along the dirt road to leave his neighborhood and headed towards the shore line. As he walked he looked up at the brightening blue sky and closed his eyes to feel the warmth of the sun on his face. Exiting his neighborhood, he looked back to the path he was taking and caught sight of the local hospital. He momentarily stopped walking as he looked at the tall yet small building. The population of the island barely hit over a couple thousand so the hospital was barely over four floors tall. The bright sun reflected off the multitude of shining windows, causing Riku to slightly shield his eyes.

"I wonder if she's awake yet…" Riku asked aloud. "It's been three days."

He stood right outside his neighborhood staring at the hospital seemingly lost in thought. Taking a deep breath he tightened his hand that was gripping a strap to his backpack and made his way towards the hospital. Reaching the glass double doors he pushed them open and heard a small bell ringing him welcome. A young brunette sat at the front desk in the lobby typing away behind a large computer screen leaving only her eyes and forehead visible. As she heard the chime of the bell she sighed and glanced over the top of the screen to see who was interrupting her work.

She raised a thin eyebrow as she noticed Riku approaching and asked "Are you here to visit someone?"

Riku uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck replying, "Um yeah, I was wondering if that girl I saved a few days ago is still here."

Without saying anything, the brunette got up from her seat and straightened her tight button down blouse before walking out from behind the desk. Motioning her arm down a hall she told him shortly, "Follow me."

Turning quickly, she began walking down the hall, her high heels clicking on the tile floor with every step. Riku followed close behind unusually fidgeting his hands in front of him in a nervous manner. The hall was lined with rose colored doors with numbers plastered along the frames as various nurses and doctors came in and out of the rooms in a hurried fashion. The uptight receptionist stopped abruptly, catching Riku off guard. She turned around in front of one of the doors in the hall and motioned her hand towards the handle.

"She's right here. Keep in mind that visits from non-family members should not exceed thirty minutes. Is that clear?" The woman informed him.

Riku slightly glared at the woman and looked as if he was about to say something when he took a deep breath. Closing his eyes for a moment he simply nodded and told her, "Yeah, I get it. Don't overstay my welcome."

The brunette placed her hand back down at her side and strained a smile, telling him, "Perfect. Now enjoy your visit."

With that she walked briskly past Riku to make it back to her post as her clanking high heels echoed through the halls. Riku sighed after she left and rubbed the bridge of his nose before reaching for the doorknob. Once his hand was wrapped around the knob he hesitated before turning it. He momentarily loosened his grip before shaking his head and swiftly turning the knob without a second thought. Pushing the door open he looked into the bare room. The walls and tile floor were a dull white as a single bed sat against the opposite wall next to a large window overlooking the shoreline outside. A wooden chair stood beside hospital equipment that was maintaining the vitals of the girl lying in the bed. She lay in a peaceful slumber, unaware that Riku had entered the room.

Her red hair was free of the sand and was untangled as it flowed softly off the side of the bed. Her relaxed state was a complete contrast to the chaos Riku had associated with her after he brought her back to life. Riku examined the girl as he slowly made his way to the wooden chair and sat down. As he sat he noticed an IV tube tucked into the girl's hand that was lying on the edge of the bed. He stared at it for a moment before redirecting his eyes towards the window to watch the ocean waves lapping the sandy shore.

After a few minutes of silence he mumbled, "I'm not sure why I'm even here. It's not like she'll even notice."

Despite his doubt he didn't move from his seat and sat beside the girl in silence until there was a light knock on the door. Riku looked over as the door to the room opened and a stout female nurse came into the room pulling a small cart of medical equipment.

She slightly startled when she noticed Riku and laughed, "I'm just here to check her vitals! I'm surprised she has any visitors as no one seems to know who she is."

Riku forced a welcoming smile to the nurse but stayed silent. He watched as the woman began performing various tests on the girl. After a couple tests he broke the silence, "Do you know when she'll wake up?"

The nurse shook her head as she grabbed a stethoscope that was around her neck. "There is no telling how long it will take her to awaken." She told him, "After the ordeal she went through I don't blame her wanting to take her time."

Letting out a half laugh, Riku looked at the girl's face before reluctantly getting up from his seat. "I should go." He sighed as he turned around to walk out of the room.

"Oh, well that's interesting." The nurse mumbled under her breath causing Riku to stop walking.

"What's interesting?" He asked as he turned around.

"Her heart rate has accelerated." The nurse informed him as she placed the stethoscope she been using on top of her medical cart. "That's a good sign that she'll wake up soon."

Riku's eyes widened as he rushed to the girl's side and beamed louder than he intended, "Really? How soon do you think?"

"You're being so loud…" An unfamiliar voice whispered.

Both the nurse and Riku looked down at the girl in shock as they saw her slowly waking up. The girl's golden eyes fluttered open as she took a moment to awaken. Her eyes widened as she realized that she was in an unfamiliar place. She gasped and pushed herself up onto her elbows looking around the room. Her eyes rested on Riku and she cocked her head slightly to the side as if she recognized him.

"Don't be alarmed Miss, you are completely safe." The nurse spoke up, causing the girl to look over at her. "You are on Destiny Islands and you arrived here three days ago when you fell unconscious into the ocean. Since the incident you have been in the hospital." She paused to allow the girl to take in the load of information. "Can I ask for your name?"

Slowly pushing herself to completely sit up despite the look the nurse was giving her, the girl hoarsely responded, "Hinata." She cleared her throat to try again, "My name is Hinata." Giving a quick look around the room she asked, "I don't suppose you have seen my sister Aiko?"

The nurse gave a worried look at Riku before shaking her head. "I'm sorry Miss Hinata, from the best of our knowledge you are the only person who came from wherever you came from."

Hinata's eyes saddened as she heard the nurse's words. She gazed absently at her hands that were fidgeting in her lap. Sighing, she looked up at Riku and asked, "Have I met you before? You seem familiar…"

Riku opened his mouth to respond when the nurse chimed, "Why, he's the one who saved your life!"

Both Riku and Hinata looked over at the nurse after her outburst causing her to sheepishly smile and say, "I better go tell the doctor that you are awake Miss Hinata." Making her way to the door she told her, "I'll be back in a few."

As the door closed behind her, Riku and Hinata were left alone in the hospital room. Riku stared towards the door in silence until Hinata spoke up.

"You saved my life?" Hinata asked.

Riku turned around and looked into Hinata's confused eyes. His cheeks dusted a light rose as he stammered, "Um… yeah. I was with my friends on the beach when we saw something fall from the sky and land in the ocean." He sat down in the wooden chair by Hinata's bed as he continued, "I wanted to know what it was so I swam after it and it ended up being you."

"Really?" Hinata asked in almost disbelief.

"Do you not remember how you got here?" Riku asked her.

Hinata shook her head as she replied, "I'm not sure… everything is a blur to me right now." She paused as she looked over at Riku and gave him a sincere smile. "Thank you… for saving me."

Riku's cheeks darkened as he rubbed the back of his neck and told her, "Don't worry about it. Anyone else would have done it in my place." He smiled at her for a moment before asking. "I don't know if this is too soon to be asking but… do you remember where you came from?"

The smile on Hinata's face swiftly diminished as she brought her knees to her chest and leaned her chin on top. After a moment of silence she began, "I do, but…"

Before another word was said the door to the room burst open, allowing an overflow of various doctors and nurses to pour into the room. Riku sat back in his chair and watched as the doctors swiftly began overwhelming Hinata with tests and questions. He tried to stay out of their way and wait for everything to quiet down when he felt a hand wrap around his arm and was pulled out of his seat. Whipping his head around he saw the brunette receptionist as she dragged him out of the room.

"Hey, wait, I'm not done!" Riku argued, slightly trying to pull away from the receptionist.

The brunette rolled her eyes as she told him, "What the doctors are discussing involves patient confidentiality; meaning, that unless you are immediate family to her you cannot be in there."

Riku glanced back at Hinata and caught her eyes in his. Stopping momentarily, despite the force of the receptionist, he called out to her, "I'll be back after school!"

He noticed her smile before the door to the room was shut in his face blocking her from his view. Turning his head he glared at the receptionist as she half-heartedly put her hands up in surrender and defended, "I'm just doing my job."

She turned around from Riku and began clicking her heels back to the front desk as Riku stared back at the closed door in front of him. Lightly kicking the bottom of the door, he turned around and made his way out of the hospital; shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight as he got outside.

Sighing he asked aloud, "Well now what am I supposed to do?"

"Hey Riku, what are you doing out here?" Sora called out.

Riku's eyes adjusted to the light as he noticed Sora and Kairi jogging towards him. A smile crept on his face as they approached him and he asked, "Hey guys, what's up?"

Sora crossed his arms and replied, "Wait, I asked you first!"

Kairi clasped her hands in front of her as she giggled, "We were out looking for you actually!"

"Looking for me?" Riku cocked his head to the side, "What for?"

Sora sighed when no one addressed his earlier question and shrugged as he informed him, "Well ever since that girl got here, Kairi has been wondering about her own past and how she got here."

Riku looked surprised at Kairi as he remarked, "Really? That's out of the ordinary."

Kairi pushed a few short strands of her dark red hair behind her ear as she admitted, "Seeing the way she got here and how she almost lost her life… Well it just got me thinking about how I got here and where I came from."

Placing his hands behind his head Sora added, "Yeah, and we didn't know where to start so we thought we would find you!"

Riku nodded as he listened to his friends before asking, "Why didn't you ask me earlier when the girl first got here? It's been a few days."

"We wanted to make sure things died down before we go asking questions." Kairi shrugged as she responded.

"You got any ideas?" Sora asked.

Placing his hand to his chin, Riku thought about it. After a few seconds of silence he looked up at Kairi and offered, "The best place to start would probably be to write down everything that you do remember."

"But I don't remember anything about where I came from." Kairi pointed out confused.

"Well yeah, but do you remember anything about when you first got here. Like how you got to live with Hana and Shin?" Riku suggested.

"I guess that's true." Kairi agreed before looking at Sora and asking, "What do you think?"

"If Riku thinks it's a good idea, I say we do it!" Sora grinned.

Riku laughed, "You weren't even listening were you?"

Sora shot Riku a glare before defending, "What? Was too!"

Kairi and Riku laughed as they began walking away from the hospital leaving Sora behind.

"Hey wait up!" He called after them as he ran to catch up. As he went up beside Riku he asked, "So what were you doing at the hospital?"

Riku was silent for a moment before reluctantly admitted, "Oh, um, I was visiting that girl."

"You were?" Both Kairi and Sora exclaimed in almost disbelief.

"Are you okay?" Sora teased knocking Riku on the head.

Riku laughed in an annoyed tone as he swatted Sora's hand away. "I'm fine, I didn't have anything better to do this morning so I went to see if she woke up yet."

"And…" Kairi pried curiously.

"She did." Riku informed them, getting a beaming smile from Kairi.

"Oh really," Kairi exclaimed, "I can't wait to meet her!" She stopped walking causing her friends to do the same. "Can we go see her now?"

Riku scoffed, "No, not long after she woke up the doctors came in and made me leave. I told her I would go see her again after school."

"You did? What about us?" Sora asked before smirking as he placed his arm around Riku, "I see how it is, trying to get some alone time with her before you have to share her!"

"No, that's not it at all." Riku defended pushing Sora away with a small smile. "I wanted to give you and Kairi some alone time that's all."

"Alone time," Sora repeated, "Why would we need that?"

Kairi giggled as she reached her arm behind her back and grabbed the forearm of the other. Leaning forward so Riku could see her face she asked, "So what's her name?"

"Hinata," Riku told them with a smile before noting, "She told me she remembered where she came from." He looked over at Kairi and noticed her widening eyes as he continued, "After you write down what you remember, it might be worth trying to see what Hinata remembers. Maybe you guys came from the same place."

Kairi smiled at first before looking down at her feet and mumbling, "I wonder why I don't remember."

"You were really young when you came here Kairi." Sora comforted her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you were too little to remember."

Kairi sighed as she looked up at Sora and nodded. "Maybe you're right."

Sora smiled before asking, "Um, where are we walking to anyways?"

Riku gave him a confused look, "To school? Why, where did you think we were walking?"

"Oh I don't know…" Sora laughed, "I just thought I got up earlier today so I wouldn't have to go to school right way." He sighed disappointed. "Is it really time for it already?"

"We are still a little early," Kairi told him. "But that gives us time to talk and write down what I remember."

Sora shrugged as they continued to walk up the steep hill up towards their school. The sun was higher in the sky and the streets were beginning to fill up with hustle and bustle of the day. They were the first students on the campus when they reached the top of the hill. Approaching a nearby picnic table the three of them sat down and set down their bags. Riku sat on top of the table as Sora sat beside Kairi on the bench. Kairi opened her cream colored satchel and pulled out a green journal with a gold outline of a cricket in the corner. Before she could open it, Riku grabbed the book from her and held it up so he could get a good look at it.

"Why do you have a journal with a cricket on it?" He asked.

Kairi giggled as she grabbed it back and defended, "Because crickets are cute!" She placed it on the table and opened it to the first blank page before mumbling, "And it was the only style left in the store."

Riku laughed under his breath as he looked away from Kairi to the layout of the island from the top of the hill. The sun glistened blindingly off the surface of the ocean causing Riku to swiftly avert his gaze. He looked over to Sora and noticed him sitting close to Kairi as they chatted away about something. Smiling to himself he watched them laugh as Sora grabbed his own pencil and began doodling in the corner of Kairi's page before she swatted him away.

"So what do you remember?" Riku broke in, wanting to get to work.

Kairi looked up at him as she tapped the end of her pen on her chin. She went back to her journal and began to read aloud as she wrote. "I don't remember the actual fall or anything like that, except for what my parents told me. From what they said it doesn't seem much different than the way Hinata got here; except they didn't tell me if someone had to save me."

"How did you begin living with them?" Sora asked, peeking over Kairi's shoulder.

"I remember I was staying in the mayor's home for a while. I don't remember how I got there or if I had been in the hospital at all. The mayor and his wife were never at the house so I was always really bored. Then one day Hana and Shin came to the house and asked if I wanted to live with them. And after I said yes they just packed up the things the mayor had given me and I went with them."

"I wonder where Hinata is going to stay." Riku mumbled as he heard Kairi's recollection.

"Maybe I could convince Hana and Shin to take her in." Kairi offered with a smile. "It would be like having a sister!"

"I wonder if you have any siblings." Sora mused as he turned around and leaned his back against the table.

Kairi stopped writing and noted, "I've never thought about that before." She tightened her grip on her pen. "What if they are looking for me or wondering whatever happened to me?" She paused for a moment and when she spoke again her voice broke. "What if they think I'm…"

Sora immediately noticed Kairi's tone and spun around as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a hug. "Don't blame yourself Kairi. You're here now and you have a new family."

Riku watched Sora hug Kairi and comfort her as he sat uncomfortably on the table. Seeing that Kairi was beginning to get emotional, he grabbed her journal and hopped off the table to give them some space. He walked to the edge of the top of the hill and let his gaze fall on the hospital near the shore line of the ocean as he heard Kairi continuing to talk behind him.

"But what about my real family?" Kairi's voice cracked as a tear fell down her cheek. "I'll never see them again and even if I did, would I even recognize them?"

Sora tightened his arm around Kairi as she cried into his chest. He looked over at the island below as Riku turned around and they made eye contact. Neither of them knew what to say as Sora silently comforted their crying friend. Riku noticed a few students beginning to make their way up the hill to the school. He went over to Kairi and knelt down to her level, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on Kairi," He told her softly, "You've got to pull it together. What happened in the past wasn't your fault. We are going to get off this island one day and then we will find your home and your family. I promise."

Kairi sniffled as she looked over at Riku and pulled one of her hands away from Sora to wipe her tear stained cheek. She looked into his eyes and began to calm down. Taking a deep breath she strained a smile and told her friends, "Thanks."

Riku smiled as he patted her shoulder and stood up. He waited for Sora to let Kairi go before handing her the green journal. As she took it he firmly held onto the book until she looked up at him. Once their eyes met he asked, "Are you sure you want to keep looking into this?"

She looked down at the journal in her hand and momentarily closed her eyes. After a few seconds of silence she nodded, "Yes, I need to know. I can't hide from it forever."

Accepting her answer, Riku released his hold on the book and absently watched as she put the journal away. The three of them stood from the picnic bench and Sora was at Kairi's side as Riku walked a few steps ahead of them to get the glass door that led into the school. He smiled as his friends entered the school as he held the door open for them. Before heading in behind them he looked one last time at the island below until he caught sight of the hospital below. He was going to have to wait quite a few hours before he could head down there again. Sighing in resignation, he turned and walked into the building leaving the island behind him.


	3. New Friend

Chapter 3

The whole school day went by restlessly for the three teens, but especially Riku. He sat in the back row of the class, staring absently out the window at the island below. The ticking clock in the front of the class seemed to be moving slower than usual as the teacher droned on about math equations. It was finally the last class of the day and Riku couldn't wait to get out.

"Do you know the answer Riku?" The male teacher at the front of the room asked, startling Riku from his thoughts.

Riku whipped his head around to face the rest of the class that stared at him expectantly. He glanced at the chalkboard behind the teacher and attempted to piece together the complicated equation. After a few seconds of awkward silence he shook his head and admitted, "Uh… no actually. I have no idea."

"Lost in daydreams are we?" The teacher's dark bushy eyebrows knitted together as he pried.

Riku shrugged in response and stared down at his desk, pretending to write notes, until his teacher turned around and continued writing on the board. One by one the students went back to listening to the lecture with mild interest. Riku looked up at the clock that was hung above the board.

"10 more minutes…" He whispered under his breath before looking back down at his notebook covered with math notes. "I wonder what she's doing."

He scanned his classmates sitting around him. None of them were people he considered close friends. Sora and Kairi were his only true friends but they were a grade below him. He got along well enough with the other students in his grade, but none of them were people he would spend any time with outside of class. Letting out an exasperated breath, he leaned back in his chair and noticed a side glance from a girl two desks away from him. Catching eye contact with her with her green eyes he gave her a small smile; but in response her cheeks deeply flushed and she swiftly averted her eyes to stare down at the surface on her desk.

Riku frowned at her reaction, confused, as he went back to looking out the window of the classroom. He usually was the student that paid the most attention, but today his thoughts were elsewhere. When he was close to losing his last bit of patience the school bell rang through the room, releasing the students. With a relieved smile, Riku stuffed his notebook into his backpack and stood up to leave the room.

"Uh… Riku?" A small voice caught his attention. Looking up from his backpack he saw the green-eyed girl from earlier standing in front of him with her hands clasped nervously in front of her. Her brown hair was pinned up into a bun behind her head and her eyes were down cast from Riku.

"Hey, what's up?" Riku spoke quickly as he zipped up his backpack.

"Oh... I was wondering… well since you're so good at math, if you wouldn't mind helping me with some of the homework problems I don't understand." She looked up into his teal eyes before darting her eyes quickly away as her cheeks dusted a light rose.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Riku told her. "Sorry, I can't today. I have somewhere I need to be." Noticing the disappointed look in her eyes he added, "You can probably ask Mei though." He motioned his head to a blonde girl across the classroom. "She asked me to help her with some math stuff a couple days ago."

The brunette in front of him turned her head to look at Mei and Riku arched an eyebrow when he noticed her once embarrassed eyes transform into a glare.

When the girl didn't respond he shrugged, "Well, I really need to get going. So…" He began walking forward and waited for the brunette to step out of the way. "See you later I guess."

Without waiting for the girl to respond, Riku rushed out of the classroom. Worming his way through the crowd of students racing out of the building, he finally made his way outside. He smiled as the sun hit his face and looked over at the nearby picnic bench to see Sora and Kairi already waiting for him. They smiled when they noticed Riku and jumped up to meet him.

Sora placed his hands behind his head as he walked towards Riku and commented, "You know, you were the one that wanted to get to the hospital right after school. What took you so long?"

Riku motioned his head towards the dirt path that led down the large hill their school was on and began walking before responding. "I was held up by another classmate asking me to help them with homework."

"Was this classmate a girl?" Kairi asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, why?" Riku shrugged. "It's only ever the girls that ask me."

Kairi giggled as both Riku and Sora gave her confused looks. "I think you might have some admirers." She told him.

Riku's eyes slightly widened before he scoffed, "Yeah right. Then they have the wrong idea. I don't have time for that type of stuff."

Sora nudged Riku's shoulder, "Who knew Riku was such a ladies' man?"

Rolling his eyes, Riku sighed, "Yeah right."

"Are you excited to see Hinata?" Kairi asked, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'm excited to meet her."

Riku shrugged, "I guess so. I'm interested to find out where she came from."

They continued to talk as they walked down the hill towards the hospital. Riku smiled when they reached the large doored entrance to the building and quickly opened the door to go inside. The same receptionist from earlier that morning was typing away at her desk in the lobby. She glanced over the top of her computer and quietly groaned when she noticed Riku at the front of the group.

Standing up from her spot she asked, "Here for another visit?"

Riku nodded as Sora and Kairi walked in behind him. "Yeah, is she available?"

"Yes, I'll take you to her room." She told him, clicking her heels as she walked out from behind her desk and led the group down the hall. Stopping in front of Hinata's door she began, "Remember…"

"Only thirty minutes, I remember." Riku interrupted, getting a slight glare from the receptionist.

"Alright then," She replied, returning to the lobby.

"Someone's in a good mood." Kairi whispered sarcastically once the receptionist was gone, getting a chuckle from Sora.

Riku smiled and placed his hand over the door knob of the room, taking a deep breath as he turned it. Pushing open the door he saw Hinata standing up by the window wearing a tight white t-shirt and jeans. The I.V tube was still injected in her hand, attached to a large bag of liquid medication that was beside her on a tall metal stand with wheels. She turned her head towards the entrance when she heard the door open and smiled when she saw it was Riku.

"Welcome back." She greeted him with tired eyes.

Riku smiled back and then frowned when he noticed that her eyes were red as if she had been crying. "I can come back later if you need some time alone," He told her, forgetting that Sora and Kairi were even with him.

Hinata shook her head, "No, don't worry. I would really appreciate some company."

"So are you ever going to let us in, Riku?" Sora asked, trying to peek over his friend's shoulder.

Moving aside, Riku allowed Sora and Kairi to enter the room. "I hope you don't mind, I brought my friends." He told her.

"I don't mind at all!" Hinata beamed, walking forward and rolling her medication along with her. "I'm sure Riku told you, but my name is Hinata." She greeted.

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Kairi!" Kairi stepped forward and introduced herself.

"And I'm Sora!" Sora raised his hand in a wave with a grin on his face.

"We were so excited to meet you when Riku told us you woke up this morning!" Kairi added.

Hinata smiled, "Well it's thanks to him that I'm even here." She glanced over at him, "Or so I've heard. It's all the nurses want to talk about."

"Really?" Riku asked. "I don't know why people keep talking about it."

"Probably because it was something out of the ordinary." Hinata suggested, causing Riku to look up at her. "From what I've heard, it doesn't seem like exciting stuff tends to happen here." She quickly waved her hands in front of her and corrected, "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that."

"No, that's about right." Riku replied, putting his hands in his pockets. "This place is pretty boring."

"But it's also a lot of fun!" Kairi pointed out.

"Yeah," Sora joined in. "There is this small island we have to take our boats to where we watch the sunset every night. When you get out of this hospital, maybe you can go there with us sometime!"

"I'd love to!" Hinata agreed, "I love watching sunsets. The one back on my world was pretty amazing."

"What is it like?" Riku spoke up. "Your world I mean."

Hinata sat on the edge of the hospital bed as she spoke. "Well, there was a lot of water there, similar to how it is here; except we didn't have waves or beaches. It was just still and quiet as far as I could see. It always perfectly reflected the sky, especially so at night." She chuckled, "Sometimes I would sneak out of the house with a couple friends at night and we would go look at the water. With the stars reflecting their light off the water's surface it would almost look as if our home was floating in space."

"That sounds amazing." Kairi smiled. "The ocean here is always moving with some sort of current. I couldn't imagine it being completely calm."

"What was your world called?" Riku asked.

Hinata thought for a moment and her cheeks lightly flushed. "I'm embarrassed to admit, but I can't remember right now. I don't know if it's the fall or what; but I can't think of a name. A lot of random details about my world keep slipping my memory."

"That's alright!" Sora chimed. "I'm sure you'll remember eventually. Kairi can't remember where she came from either."

Kairi's cheeks flushed as Hinata looked over at her in surprise. "You aren't from here either?" She asked Kairi.

Shaking her head, Kairi admitted, "No, actually I came here the same way you did. I fell from the sky nine years ago; but I never remembered anything about where I came from or why I left."

Hinata frowned, "I'm sorry, that must be tough."

"We were hoping that you might be able to help us with that." Riku spoke up.

"Help you?" Hinata repeated. "I'll try, but I don't know if I'll be very useful."

"Well, do you remember anything about how you got here?" Riku asked. "I know you said this morning you didn't, but maybe you remembered something."

Hinata shook her head, "Not yet. I mean, all I really remember is walking through the castle garden with my younger sister." Hinata smiled. "She always liked picking flowers for people." Glancing out the window, she added, "But I am not sure if that has anything to do with me leaving, or if it was even the same day. It's just the only thing that comes to mind when I try to think about what happened."

"I wonder why that is." Kairi commented.

"What is your sister's name?" Sora asked.

"Aiko," Hinata replied with a smile, before suddenly frowning. "Or… wait, no that's not right. That's the nickname my mom gave her." She looked down at her hands. "I… can't quite remember her real name right now." She laughed bitterly under her breath, "My mind is all sorts of off right now."

"Why the nickname?" Riku asked, "I never got the point of those."

Hinata chuckled, "I'll admit that I'm not usually a big fan of them either. But this one made sense to me. When my mom was pregnant with my sister she wanted to name her Aiko, but my dad insisted we name her something else. My dad ended up finalizing the name but my mom still called her Aiko anyways and I sort of picked up on it too."

"I think it's sweet." Kairi added with a smile. "It does mean joyous child after all."

"Yeah," Hinata agreed, "And Aiko was definitely joyous." She laughed and then asked, "So enough about me. How about you guys? How long have you all been friends?"

"Riku and I have been best friends forever!" Sora chimed in, "Then when I was about six, Kairi showed up and we all became friends pretty quick."

Riku nodded, "Yeah, I think we saw her playing on the beach during one of our races and Sora introduced himself as he ran past."

"Races?" Hinata repeated.

Kairi giggled, "Yeah, Sora and Riku have always been competitive with each other with basically everything."

"Except grades at school." Riku pointed out. "I've got him beat in that by a landslide."

"What?" Sora objected, "That's not fair, we aren't even in the same grade!"

Riku scoffed, "Yeah, but even if we were you would just sleep through every class like you do in class with Kairi."

Hinata laughed, "It sounds like you guys have a lot of fun together."

"And it will be even more fun when you get discharged and can hang out with us!" Kairi told her.

A light knock on the door interrupted their conversation and got their attention. There was a pause before the door opened to reveal a tall male doctor with a few people behind him.

"Hello Hinata," The doctor greeted, "I have a couple here that would like to speak with you."

"Oh sure," Hinata stood up from her bed, "Show them in."

Nodding, the doctor opened the door wider allowing an older couple to walk in. The man was slender with blue eyes paired with his short black hair. His arm was linked with a red-haired woman. The brown roots of her hair speckled the top of her head, suggesting that her hair was dyed. Kairi's eyes widened when she saw them enter.

"Mom, Dad?" She asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

The man stepped forward and pushed up his thin rimmed glasses before replying with a small smirk, "We could ask you the same thing, Kairi."

"Shin told me that Hinata woke up and needed a place to stay." The woman spoke up, placing her hand on Shin's shoulder.

Shin nodded and looked towards Hinata, "You might have seen me earlier, I work here as one of the doctors. I'm Shin and this is my wife Hana."

Hinata nodded and gave them an unsure smile, "Uh, yeah I think I remember. Nice to officially meet both of you."

"How are you feeling?" Hana asked her with a kind voice and smile.

"I have a bit of a migraine," She admitted, "But I'm just thankful to be safe and alive, honestly."

"The migraine is simply a result from the fall; it should subside in a couple days." Shin told her, his doctor knowledge showing through.

Hinata nodded politely in response before Hana cut in, "We know you just woke up earlier today, but we wanted to let you know that you are welcomed to our home."

"Oh, thank you." Hinata smiled before asking, "Am I allowed to just stay at your home? I don't have to go through some weird foster adoption thing?"

"Thankfully no," Hana informed her. "With your age and our history with adoption in the past…" She smiled over at Kairi. "You are welcomed to leave the hospital today and stay with us."

"Wow," she replied, "Um… yeah, I would love to." She glanced over at Kairi, "I mean, if you wouldn't mind."

Kairi giggled, "I was actually going to ask my parents if you could move in with us! They beat me to it."

"Then yeah, that sounds perfect." Hinata agreed, clasping her hands together in front of her. She glanced over at Riku who was absently staring out the window, almost seeming uncomfortable from the large amount of people in the room.

"Perfect," Shin nodded with a smile. "I took the liberty of filling out your discharge papers. Only a few more details are needed. Things like your birthdate and medical record." He grabbed a clipboard from the doctor that allowed them into the room and walked it over to Hinata. "All you need to do is fill it out and then you can be on your way."

Hinata reluctantly grabbed the clipboard with half way filled out paperwork. "Thank you." She told him without looking up.

"We'll give you some space to fill it out." Hana told her, grabbing Shin's arm. "We'll be in the lobby when you're ready. Kairi, are you ready to go?"

"Actually I would like stay here with Hinata if that's alright." She replied.

"Yeah, you're welcomed to." Hinata smiled. "This shouldn't take long."

Hana nodded and led the way out of the room, bringing Shin and the other doctor along with her. When the door closed Hinata let out a breath of relief.

"It will be nice to get out of here." She quietly spoke as she began filling out the paperwork.

"Yeah! We can show you all over the island." Sora told her. "Right, Riku?"

Riku finally looked away from the window and nodded, "Yeah." He glanced down at the clipboard in Hinata's hands, noticing one of her answers, "Your birthday is in the summer?" He asked.

She glanced up from the papers and smiled, "Yeah June twenty-third."

"Riku's is in the summer too." Sora informed her. "I think its July though."

"What do you usually do for your birthday?" Kairi asked, sitting beside Hinata on the bed.

"Not much," She admitted, "My dad would take the day off of work. He was always working in the castle, so it was nice to get to see him. And we would go out for sea-salt ice-cream before having a big family dinner."

"Your dad works in a castle?" Riku asked, his interest peaking.

"Yeah, there was this big castle in my world with a large garden around it. My dad worked there with a bunch of other apprentices, but he was always secretive about his actual work. I'm not sure what they did there." Hinata explained. "All I knew was that since my dad worked there Aiko and I were able to use the castle library."

"How old is your sister?" Kairi asked.

"She's six." Hinata smiled. "Well, six and a half. She was turning seven in six months."

Kairi smiled, "My birthday is in six months too." She slightly frowned, "I'm sorry you won't be there to see her on her birthday."

Hinata deeply sighed. "It's alright… it's not your fault. I just wish I knew how or why I ended up here."

"There wasn't anything weird happening around your world recently?" Riku asked.

"I… I'm not sure." She admitted, solemnly looking down at the pen tightly clutched in her hand. "Whenever I try to think about it my heart hurts…" The room fell silent for a moment before she perked up and cleared her throat. "I'm sure it's nothing. My memory will clear up eventually. My migraine sure isn't helping my thoughts." Holding up the clipboard she sighed, "Well, that should be all of it."

"Ready to get out of here?" Riku asked.

Hinata chuckled and nodded, "You have no idea."

"I'll bring it out to the doctor!" Sora offered grabbing the clipboard.

"And I'll go get my parents." Kairi nodded, hopping off the bed and following Sora out of the room.

Once the door closed behind them, Hinata looked over at Riku and asked, "Are you doing alright?"

He frowned at her question and glanced over at her confused. "Why are you asking me that? I'm not the one that fell from the sky."

"You just seem distracted." She admitted. "I wanted to make sure."

He stared at her for a moment before sighing, "I'm fine… thanks. But you really don't have to worry about me." He crossed his arms and asked, "…How about you?" He looked into her still slightly reddened eyes, "Are you doing alright?"

She looked down at her clasped hands that lay in her lap. "Honestly? I'm not sure how to be feeling right now. I'm thankful to have ended up somewhere with welcoming people, but…"

"You want to be home." He finished her sentence when her voice trailed off. "Well at least you get to see a new world, even if you did end up on one of the boring ones."

She half-smiled and looked up at him. "That's true. I'm looking forward to seeing everything around your island." She glanced out the window. "And I'm really interested in the water out there. I think the nurse told me it's called an ocean."

Riku followed her gaze. "Uh, yeah, it's salt water that surrounds each of the islands."

"Salt water?" She asked, her voice rising in interest. "So… don't drink it."

He let out a small laugh, "No, you definitely don't want to drink it. You can swim in it though and a lot of people like the waves."

"Now I just have to learn how to swim." She replied, "I'm sure I'll have plenty of time for that."

He side glanced at her, "You didn't swim at all back at your world? I thought you said there was water there too."

"There was, but we weren't allowed in it." She informed him. "At least my dad was against it." She shrugged, "I don't know why though."

"What sort of things did you do back in your world?" He asked her, turning towards her.

"When I wasn't watching my sister or at school, I spent a lot of time in the castle library researching things about weapons and such." She noticed Riku look over at her surprised as she spoke. She chuckled as she confessed, "I have some weird obsession with how weapons are made and how they work; I can't explain it. I've been like that since I was young." She leaned back on her hands on the bed and continued, "After school I even took this sparring class with a couple of my friends. One of the apprentices at the castle was our teacher."

"That's… not at all what I was expecting to hear." He admitted.

Hinata let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I usually get that reaction."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation as Hana and Shin reentered the room trailed by Sora and Kairi. Shin went towards Hinata and began taking out her IV while Hana spoke.

"The paperwork has been finalized, you're free to go!" She told Hinata excitedly with Kairi beside her. "Kairi said she'll show you back to our home."

"I thought you might like to stretch your legs a bit, so Sora, Riku, and I could show you around the island!" Kairi added.

Hinata smiled, "Thank you that sounds great." She winced as Shin took out the large IV needle from her hand.

He quickly bandaged up her hand and stepped back. "And I don't believe any of Kairi or Hana's clothes will fit you, so I've given Kairi some munny so you can buy some clothes and items to place in your room."

She looked between Hana and Shin and asked, "I really appreciate it… but why are you guys doing so much for me? You barely know anything about me."

"We know that you are someone in need of a home and family." Hana explained. "And that's all that matters to us."

"That should be everything." Shin told her stepping back. "Would you like me to bring a wheel chair in to help you outside?"

"No that's fine. I can walk." Hinata told him, standing from the bed.

"Well then, Hana will see you later at the house. I still have the rest of my shift to finish, so if you'll excuse me." He nodded and left the room.

"Will you be alright exploring the island?" Hana asked with concern. "Maybe it would be better to rest back at the house."

Hinata chuckled and waved her hands in front of her, "Trust me; I slept for three days straight. The last thing I need is more sleep. But, thanks for the concern."

"Well alright," Hana nodded before turning to Kairi, "I'll see you at home later then sweetheart."

"Alright mom," Kairi nodded in response, watching as her mom left the room.

"They seem like great people." Hinata noted.

"They are! They have taken great care of me." She replied with a small smile.

"So where are we going?" Sora asked eager to get out of the hospital. "There are all sorts of things we have to show Hinata!"

"Somewhere with food preferably." Hinata replied.

"There's a sushi place on the pier." Riku offered, "It's by some clothing shops too so you can shop there afterwards."

"Sushi?" She asked.

The three friends looked at each other in near disbelief.

"It's like… fish rolled up with rice and seaweed and sometimes other stuff too!" Sora tried to explain. "But it's not as gross as it sounds."

"It's basically all we eat here since they use salt water fish to make it." Riku told her.

"We can go somewhere else though." Kairi offered, "Somewhere with familiar food."

"Actually I'd like to try it." Hinata told them. "If I'm going to be living here I'm going to have to eat it eventually."

Kairi giggled, "That's true."

"Alright then, let's go!" Sora exclaimed as he turned to lead the way out of the hospital.

Kairi excitedly followed after him, stopping by the door and asking Hinata, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Hinata nodded. She glanced beside her at Riku before moving forward to follow her new friends.

She looked around as they walked through the hallway of the hospital, not recognizing any of it. They reached the main lobby and looked out the massive windows at the island outside. She nervously walked towards the door as Sora held it open, hearing a strange unfamiliar sound coming from outside. The bright sun caused her to shield her eyes as she stepped outdoors. The warmth seeped into her cooled skin and she took a breath of the salt-tinged air.

"Well, what do you think?" Sora asked.

She turned around in place and asked, "What is that sound?"

"Sound?" Kairi asked, looking over at Sora while Riku joined them outside.

"It's the waves from the ocean." Riku told Hinata.

"Does it always make that sound?" She asked, turning towards him with her eyes filled with curiosity.

Without knowing why, his cheeks lightly blushed when she looked at him. Averting his eyes, he answered, "Yeah. It can get pretty annoying; but you'll get used to it."

Hinata nodded but didn't respond as she looked out at the nearby beach and watched the waves crash against the shore with fascination.

Sora let go of the glass door leading into the hospital and walked forward. Patting Riku on the shoulder, he offered, "Hey Riku, I'll race you to the pier!"

Riku scoffed and pushed Sora's hand off of him. "What? Hinata doesn't even know the way there. We can't just leave her alone with Kairi."

"Well alright, then I'll be waiting for you at the sushi place. You didn't want to sit by the aquarium did you?" He goaded walking ahead before breaking into a run.

As he ran away Riku looked after him with a small look of disappointment in his eyes.

"You don't have to worry about me." Hinata told him, looking away from the ocean and noticing Riku's expression. "Kairi and I will meet you guys there."

He glanced over at her and smirked before breaking into a run; easily catching up to Sora, who groaned when Riku sprinted in front of him.

"Aw man! I really was looking forward to sitting by the aquarium!" Sora called after him, trying to push himself to run faster.

Hinata and Kairi laughed as the boys ran on ahead. They walked along the road leading from the hospital towards the beach exchanging small talk. Hinata took in her surroundings as they went. Every bird and creature she saw was unfamiliar to her. She really had awoken on a completely different world and she was still unsure if she should be ecstatic or terrified by the situation.

They reached the uneven sand of the beach and Kairi reached down, picking up a long oval shaped sea shell with a half star shape on one of the ends. She handed it to Hinata and explained, "That's a Thalassa shell, there's a legend…"

"Actually, I know what this is." Hinata interjected as she examined the light yellow shell. She widened her eyes and quickly stammered, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I was just surprised I recognized this."

"No it's fine," Kairi assured her, looking at the shell in her hands. "I'm surprised too; especially since you said there wasn't any ocean on your world."

"Yeah, my dad had these shells with him when he came back from work one day, I don't know where or how he got them." Hinata recalled. "He had my sister and I make them into Wayfinder charms and exchange them. He told us that if you gave it to someone then your destinies would forever be intertwined…" She chuckled, "He always went on about destinies and fate."

"Oh…" She replied, down casting her eyes.

Hinata looked over at her confused, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no it isn't that." She assured her, looking back up at her and forcing a smile. "It's just… No one around here had ever heard of the legend of the Wayfinders. It was something that I just always knew. I almost believed that I just came up with it myself; but now hearing that your dad knew about it… I wonder where I learned it from."

"Maybe your family taught it to you before you came here." Hinata suggested.

"Do you think we came from the same world?" She asked.

"It's possible… but I had never heard of anyone just randomly going missing from my world." Hinata told her. "And my dad knew basically every family. Working in the castle he had to have all those connections." She sadly smiled, remembering him. "So if you were from my world your disappearance might have just been kept quiet."

Kairi sighed, "Well maybe someday I'll find out."

Hinata glanced over at her. "Do you like it here?"

She nodded, "I do! I love it here! In fact, before you came here I hadn't really thought about where I came from. This is all I've ever known."

"Well of all the places to end up, it doesn't seem too bad." Hinata agreed with her.

"No it isn't bad at all!" Kairi replied with a small giggle before changing the subject. "We're almost to the pier! I wonder if Sora managed to beat Riku to the restaurant."

Hinata laughed, "I don't know, with the way Riku sprinted ahead of him even after the head start Sora got, I'm not too hopeful."

Kairi giggled, "Well don't tell Sora you said that."

They approached the long wooden pier that was built over the ocean with various shops and restaurants lining along the sides. People of all ages bustled through the area, a few of them flying colorful kites and others marketing their product from their shop trying to get customers. Kairi led the way towards a tall two story restaurant that Hinata assumed was the sushi place.

She followed inside the brightly lit place. A large aquarium was on one wall where Hinata spotted Riku already sitting in the only booth that was beside the aquarium, with Sora sitting defeated across from him. She chuckled to herself and looked over at the long black bar where a couple chefs stood easily chopping up ingredients and putting orders together where people could easily sit and watch.

"I guess you were right." Kairi mentioned. "Riku beat Sora here."

Hinata laughed as she followed Kairi to their table, "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"There you are!" Sora chimed, instantly cheering up when he saw them approaching.

"Took you guys long enough." Riku told them, glancing up surprised as Hinata sat beside him in the booth.

"Yeah, well we weren't sprinting to sit by fish." Hinata replied, smirking at him. "I see you made it here first."

He scoffed at her response but then smirked, "Yeah, I wasn't about to let him win that easily. What's the score now Sora?"

"You guys seriously keep score?" Hinata asked.

"16 to 3," Sora sighed, slumping again even as Kairi sat down beside him.

"So you do…" Hinata whispered under her breath with a small chuckle. She looked down at the large menu in front of her. "Any suggestions?" She asked them.

"Well what type of things do you like to eat?" Kairi asked. "Like do you like sweet, spicy, plain?"

Hinata put down her menu and sat back in her seat. "I'm not too picky actually; except I don't like sour things."

"Well you're missing out, sour is the best." Riku interrupted her, taking a sip of limeade he had ordered before she got there.

She chuckled, "I do like spicy though."

"Ok!" Kairi chimed, "I'll order you the spicy tuna roll then." She glanced over at Sora sulking and asked, "What about you? Are you going to cheer up?"

As Sora answered her and slowly lightened up, Riku looked over at Hinata and asked, "You like spicy but not sour?"

She looked back at him and arched one of her eyebrows, "What, is it a crime to not like sour things or something?"

He slightly frowned but his eyes had a hint of amusement in them. "No, it just doesn't make sense."

"I don't like the way it makes me react." She confessed.

"You react?" He asked for clarification, giving her a confused look.

She laughed, "I mean the face it makes me make. It's weird."

He laughed from her unexpected answer before quickly clearing his throat and going back to his nonchalant attitude. "I think you've been eating food that is way too sour."

"It doesn't matter how sour it is," She admitted, "It could be a sour gummy worm and I can't handle it."

He nodded and tried to keep himself from chuckling. "Well I don't think I've ever met anyone who was so weak to sour."

"Weak?" She repeated, seemingly offended even though she smiled. "Excuse me; not handling sour food does not make me weak."

"Wow, must have struck a nerve or something." He replied with a smirk.

"Shut up," She laughed, getting Riku to laugh as well.

When their laughter died down they noticed that Sora and Kairi had stopped talking. Riku looked over at his friends across the table and noticed the surprised expressions on their faces.

"What?" He asked them, his smile swiftly diminishing as he averted his eyes to the glass aquarium beside him.

Kairi smiled shook her head from Riku's reaction, before mentioning. "You seem to be getting more comfortable, Hinata."

"Yeah, I feel a lot more at ease being out of the hospital." She admitted. "Don't have doctors watching and testing me all the time."

"Are you ready to order?" A young girl walked up to their table, holding up a pen and paper.

Kairi nodded and relayed all of their orders without even having to ask the others what they were wanting. The waitress scribbled down everything before sticking her pad of paper into her apron's pocket and walking away to get their food prepared.

The friends talked a bit more as they waited for the food to reach their table. Within just a few minutes their food was brought to their table. Hinata warily looked at the seemingly raw pink fish rolled up inside white rice with different ingredients she couldn't immediately recognize. She looked up at her friends as they already began eating their own dishes.

"Alright then…" She whispered under her breath as she picked up the small piece or rolled rice. Taking a deep breath she placed in into her mouth and instantly perked up as her taste buds reacted. Swallowing she exclaimed, "That's amazing! No wonder you guys eat this all the time!"

Kairi giggled, "See? I had a feeling you would like it!"

They ate in silence for a couple minutes before Sora asked, "So Hinata, what type of things do you like to do? After lunch we can take you somewhere fun!"

"Yeah," Kairi nodded, "I really like this hobby shop near the end of the pier! It has all sorts of artsy type things!"

Hinata smiled, "Well I'm not really into art stuff. I mean… I am, but I'm pretty awful at them." She quietly chuckled at herself, before explaining, "But I really like books and writing."

"You write?" Kairi asked.

"I don't write anything like stories or stuff like that." She confessed, "But I like keeping journals and researching."

"You actually enjoy studying?" Sora asked almost incredulously.

"Well it honestly depends on what I'm actually studying." Hinata clarified. "Like if it's math or science, I kind of dread it; but if it's history or stuff about weapons I'm all for it."

"Weapons?" Sora asked, the interest in his voice rising similar to how Riku's had earlier.

"Yeah," Riku spoke up, "She used to take a sparring class back on her world."

"You should join the sparring class that Riku and I are taking!" Sora beamed. "It's one of the electives at our school."

"You guys actually have a sparring class here?" Hinata asked excitedly. "That would be great!"

Kairi sat back in her chair with a sigh, "You mean you're into weapons and stuff like these two are?"

"Is that bad?" Hinata asked, sheepishly smiling.

"No," She admitted, "I just hoped you would like stuff like art and crafts."

"Well I do like that type of thing." Hinata assured her. "Just don't expect me to draw anything better than a stick person; which even then you might be expecting too much."

Riku let out a small laugh before asking, "So what type of weapon do you like to fight with?"

"Dao blades," She proudly replied. "I fight with two of them usually."

"Cool," Riku smirked.

"Were there a lot of people in your sparring class back in your world?" Sora asked.

Hinata shook her head with a small frown. "No, just three. I was actually the only girl that was interested in fighting in my whole world as far as I knew; the other two people in the class were my friends, but they were guys."

"The only girl?" Kairi asked. "Well you won't be alone here. Pretty much everyone is into sparring; even Selphie."

Riku scoffed, "Yeah, one of the most girly girls you'll ever meet and she's into fighting."

"Is she any good?" Hinata asked.

"For a girl." Riku shrugged.

"Excuse me?" She asked him, borderline glaring at him.

He looked up at her and realized what he had just said. Stammering, he corrected, "I mean… out of all the girls I've ever fought… she's pretty good. You're probably better than that."

Sora laughed, "Wow Hinata, that's the first time I've ever seen Riku like that!"

Riku shot him a glare and kicked him under the table.

"Ow!" Sora grumbled, giving Riku a small pout. "Well it's true!"

Kairi giggled, "Well there are some weapon shops around here and a bookstore; so we'll go there after lunch!"

Hinata smiled and nodded, "Alright! I need to buy some clothes too. Maybe we should go clothe shopping first so I don't accidentally spend all my money at the bookstore."

"Good idea," Kairi laughed.

"Then let's finished up here so we can get going." Riku told them.

"Alright, alright, I'm eating." Kairi replied, rolling her eyes with a smile.

Hinata smiled at her new friends, before going back to her food; ready to see what they had in store for her.


	4. Long Night

Chapter 4

Hinata stared at the ceiling as she laid on the firm pull-out couch bed in Kairi's living room. Everyone else in the home had gone to bed a few hours before; but Hinata couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. A tall floor lamp beside the couch near the front door was lit, dimly lighting the large room. Hinata glanced around the room, seeing the modest furniture and décor before looking to the bags on the floor.

A few shopping bags sat beside the bed, filled with clothes and books Hinata had bought during her time exploring the island that day. After the sushi lunch, Kairi took Hinata clothes shopping while the boys went to admire the swords at the weapons depo. Much to Kairi's surprise, Hinata had found all the clothes she wanted to buy in less than an hour. Everything she picked was simple with soft dulled colors. The clothes saleswoman had tried multiple times to get Hinata to try on a dress or something with bright colors, but each time she was denied. After that shopping was complete, Hinata had walked with Kairi to the arts and craft stand; listening with a small smile as Kairi explained what everything was and what she enjoyed to create.

Hinata reached into her bag and pulled out a patterned coloring book, the only thing she bought from the art stand to pacify Kairi's insistence that she would love art if she only gave it a try. She flipped through a few of the intricately patterned pages and considered coloring one of them before she abruptly closed it. Tossing it onto the bed beside her, she sat up and buried her face in her hands.

"Trouble sleeping?" Shin's voice startled her.

She looked up and saw Shin walking into the dark living room. Giving him a small smile, she nodded, "Yeah. I don't know if it's because I slept for three days or if I'm just not used to being here yet… but I'm incredibly restless." She sighed and leaned back on her hands. "What are you doing up?"

"Getting ready for my shift at the hospital." He informed her. "I have the graveyard shift tonight."

"But you were working there all day." She remembered.

He sighed, "Yes, I was actually covering for a coworker today. I usually work night shifts."

"Oh," She replied, slightly frowning, "That sucks."

Shin laughed, "Yes, indeed it does."

Hinata laughed, "Sorry, that's..."

"No it's completely fine," He assured her with a smile. "That's a pretty accurate description of the situation." He flicked on the light switch in the kitchen and asked, "I know this won't help with your sleeping problem, but I'm going to make some coffee. Would you like a cup?"

"Thanks, but I really shouldn't." She replied. "I honestly feel like going on for a run… which probably isn't the best idea at two in the morning."

"Well you are welcome to if you want. This island has an incredibly low crime rate so you'll be safe." He told her.

She chuckled, "Somehow I have the feeling Hana wouldn't agree with letting me go for a run right now."

"I won't say anything to her if you won't." He replied with a small laugh as he walked into the kitchen. "Anyways, from what Kairi told me, you would be able to handle yourself if you did run into trouble."

"If I had a weapon." She admitted, finally getting up from her bed and walking into the kitchen after Shin. "Without one I'd be pretty helpless. I unfortunately don't know the first thing about fist fighting."

The hard tile chilled her bare feet as she walked into the large kitchen. Pulling out one of the wooden chairs surrounding the round kitchen table, she sat down and leaned her elbows on the tabletop. She watched as Shin scooped out some coffee grounds into a small black machine.

Shin chuckled in response before telling her, "Kairi also mentioned that you enjoy studying past warfare and weapons as well as learning how to use them." When Hinata nodded, he asked, "What do you plan on doing with that sort of knowledge? Your interest in the subject intrigues me."

Hinata shrugged, "Honestly I'm not completely sure. Back in my world it was basically taboo for women to be into anything other than cooking and raising a family. It's even against the law for any women to join the military… so there wasn't much as far as career options in what I was learning, not that I would want to join the military anyways. But… despite everything against me I couldn't stop learning it. I love it."

"I think I know." Shin told her pouring himself a cup of freshly made coffee. He brought it to the table and sat down across from Hinata before continuing. "I feel that every person has at least one thing that they are talented in; their calling if you will. And when they find that calling they will devote all the time in the world to it without a second thought, no matter what people think."

"Well if it is my calling then destiny went and messed up bigtime." She replied with a sigh.

Shin chuckled, "Well you are still very young, I wouldn't be giving up on destiny just yet." Standing from his seat and grabbing his coffee, he told her, "Now if you'll excuse me, I really should finish getting ready. It was nice talking with you."

Hinata smiled, "Yeah, it was nice talking with you too."

She watched as he left the kitchen before getting up from her own seat. Walking back towards her bed she rummaged through her shopping bags, pulling out a long gray-blue trench coat and black flats. She put on the coat and slipped on her shoes.

"I suppose a short walk would do me some good." She spoke to herself as she tied her red hair up in a ponytail, letting it fall to her waist.

She walked towards the door and pulled it open, the cool night wind instantly rushing into her and making her shiver despite having the coat on. Closing the door behind her, she looked up at the starry sky and felt her heart twist a little in sadness.

"At least the stars are like home." She commented under her breath.

Hugging the coat closer to her body, she walked out of the small garden Hana had planted in the front yard and pushed open the black gate that attached to the fence around the home. The still unfamiliar sound of the waves caught her attention and without thinking she walked towards it. She left the quiet neighborhood and approached the sandy beach, only stopping where the water lapped the ground. Closing her eyes, she listened to the waves and felt the salty breeze rush past her.

"Hinata?" Riku's voice made her open her eyes and whisk around to see him standing a few feet behind her. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"I couldn't sleep." She answered honestly. "You?"

Accepting her answer, he walked forward to be beside her and stare out at the ocean. "Same." He replied.

Hinata turned back around and watched the waves, unsure of what to say. They stood in comfortable silence for a couple minutes, before she finally spoke up. "You're parents are alright with you being out this late?"

He shrugged, "They don't know; but I don't think they would care even if they did." He noticed Hinata's questioning look and clarified. "I… don't exactly have the best relationship with my parents."

"Ah, I see." She nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry; I know that can be tough."

"You do?" He asked, "From how you talked it seemed like you were at least close to your dad."

"Well I got along well enough with my parents." She agreed with him. "It was more my Grandmother that I butted heads with all the time. She didn't exactly agree with my life choices; too much like my father in her opinion."

"At least she acknowledged that you even had a life." He mumbled.

Hinata glanced over at him, noticing the hint of sadness in Riku's teal eyes. She frowned, fighting the urge to give him a hug or place her hand on his shoulder in comfort. Clearing her throat, she changed the subject, "I had fun with you guys today. I'm sorry we missed the sunset since we were so busy shopping."

"Its fine," He replied, appreciating the subject change. "We watch the sunset literally every night; today was a welcomed change."

Hinata chuckled, "Man, every time you talk about this place you seem done with it."

He scoffed, "Probably because I am. I don't know how Sora and Kairi can seem so content here; it's so small… like a prison."

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

He glanced over at her. "Why do you keep asking me that? I told you earlier I'm fine."

"I know earlier you said you were fine, but…" She turned towards him and crossed her arms. "But something seems different now."

He clenched his hands and lashed out. "We've only known each other for a day and you think you know how I'm supposed to act? Mind your own business."

Widening her eyes in surprise, Hinata backed up a couple steps and stammered, "You're right… I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to push you." Nervously pushing some of her hair behind her ear she turned around, "I'll go…"

Riku closed his eyes in frustration, hearing as Hinata began walking away. Inhaling deeply he called after her. "No, you don't have to…" He heard Hinata's footsteps pause as he confessed. "It's… my parents. They like to pretend I don't exist and sometimes it gets to me." His heart began to race as he heard Hinata walking back towards him. "They just got back from a trip today and made sure to get rid of anything they could find that was mine while I was gone at school."

"Do they hurt…?" She quietly tried to ask.

"No, they don't ever do anything physical." He assured her before scoffing, "They know better than to try that with me; but all of us are basically counting down the days until I can move out on my own." He sighed, "It can be hell with them sometimes… living in a home where they wish every day that you didn't exist…" He paused and let out a long breath. "I don't know why I just told you all of that." He shook his head and turned away. "Look, I'm just going to go. I'm sorry I blew up at you, it wasn't your fault."

"W-wait!" She called after him as he walked away. When he stopped, she apologized, "I'm sorry I pried. You're right, we've only known each other for a day and I was acting like we were close… and I know we're not, I just… I guess I feel closer to you since you are the one that saved me." Riku glanced back at her and she clarified, "And it isn't anything weird or romantic, I just… I don't know; I'm rambling now…" She nervously laughed at herself and tried again. "What I mean is that I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or feel that you have to share your problems with me; but that being said… I really appreciate you told me about your family."

"Just don't tell anyone about it." He told her softly, slightly ashamed. "I haven't even told Kairi... You and Sora are the only two that know."

She sadly smiled at him, "I promise. And for what it's worth Riku… I'm sorry your parents treat you like that."

He looked up at her with a small smile, "Thanks."

She smiled back, "Uh, you don't have to leave if you don't want to. I can head back to Kairi's house; I was just restless and you seem like you need to be out more than I do."

"Well last I checked this beach is big enough for more than one person." He replied with a smirk as he turned to walk back towards her; his mood slowly lightening up. "Plus Kairi's house is yours now too."

"I guess so," She shrugged, "It will take me a while to think of it that way." They stood in silence for a moment, the sound of the soft waves brushing against the stillness. "Do you have school tomorrow?" She asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, two more school days this week… why?"

"I was just thinking you're going to be tired tomorrow." She admitted.

"I don't sleep much anyways," He shrugged. "Even when my parents are gone on a trip I'm usually up by five."

"Bleh," She stuck out her tongue. "That sounds awful, way too early."

He laughed in response. "Yeah you get used to it."

"Why would you get up that early?" She asked, looking over at him.

"Well the sun usually wakes me up." He admitted.

"But what do you do with all that extra time?" She asked.

He rubbed the back of him neck and confessed, "I… uh… make my own weapons actually."

"You do?" She turned towards him. "How? Can I see them?"

He chuckled at her response and replied, "Yeah, I have them in my backpack. I'll show you tomorrow. I carve them out of wood."

"That's so cool," She replied a tint of admiration in her voice. "I've never thought of making them myself… I don't think I'd be very good at it." Her voice trailed off as she got lost in thought.

Riku looked over at her as she got lost in her own daydreams with a goofy smile on her face and found himself smiling at her sudden childlike delight. A minute passed before he brought her out of her thoughts. "Uh… Hinata?" He asked.

"Oh, sorry! I was just thinking about all the different things you could make." She laughed at herself before asking, "What type of weapons have you made?"

"I used to have all sorts." He told her, finally moving to sit down on the sand. Hinata sat down across from him as he continued to explain. "I even made some dao blades at one point."

"Really?" She asked in excitement. "Can they even clasp together like real ones can?"

"No, actually I wasn't able to get them to fit together." He admitted.

"Maybe I can help you with that." She offered. "Do you still have them?"

He shook his head, "No… Before leaving on their most recent trip my parents threw out all of the weapons I had made. I had to start over my collection."

Hinata frowned, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

"It's alright." He sighed. "I was considering remaking a few of them anyways."

"Well let me know whenever you get to making the dao blades again." She told him. "I know those things like the back of my hand."

"I'll keep that in mind." He assured her, "So how long have you been into fighting?"

"As long as I can remember." She informed him, looking out at the ocean in front of them. "My dad used to tell me stories about great warriors and battles and I guess they just stuck with me. But the odd thing was that the battles themselves never really intrigued me, it was the weapons the armies used. There's a lot of beauty in them and in their fighting techniques."

"Wait… so you're telling me that you like weapons but not fighting with them?" He interrupted.

"Well, not exactly. I do like fighting and using the techniques I've studied; but I don't want to use them to hurt people." She explained.

"You really don't make sense to me." He admitted, making Hinata laugh.

"Yeah, I confuse myself honestly." She agreed.

The two of them continued to talk and share various details about themselves; losing track of time. Before they knew it, the moon disappeared under the ocean's horizon and the sun slowly began to rise; making its light spread across the island.

Hinata laughed at something Riku told her but then noticed the pale light spreading across the sky. "The sun's coming up?" She asked. "Did we really talk that long?" She looked back at Riku worriedly, "You didn't get any sleep."

Riku's eyes were obviously tired but he shrugged it off. "It's fine. I wasn't going to sleep much at home anyways." He yawned despite his efforts to seem energized.

"Maybe you can get a few hours of sleep in before school." She offered.

He shook his head. "Once the sun's up, I'm up too." When Hinata wasn't convinced he told her, "I don't have curtains and my window is right in the sunlight."

"Then come back to Kairi's house. You can sleep on the couch or something." She suggested.

"Like that's going to happen," he scoffed, getting up from his spot in the sand. "Look don't worry, I'll be fine. I've pulled all-nighters before. You're the one who should be getting back to your house. If Hana wakes up and sees you gone she'll have a heart attack."

Hinata frowned but nodded, "Alright, I'll head back." She yawned on the last word. "I guess I'm tired too." She pushed herself to stand, accidentally stumbling before standing up straight. "I hope Hana will let me sleep in."

"I sincerely doubt it." He replied, chuckling when Hinata groaned. Turning his head, he looked up the road he was going to have to walk to head back home. "Uh… hey, thanks for listening to me earlier." He reluctantly looked back to Hinata and confessed, "It was nice having someone to talk to."

"Of course," She smiled. "I was happy to listen. And despite us being exhausted today I still had a lot of fun talking with you." She looked out at the ocean and admitted, "It made me forget where I am, even if it was only for a few hours." Clearing her throat, she looked back at him with a smile. "Anyways, I'll see you later." Before Riku replied, she turned and quickly walked away.

Riku watched her leave, thinking about the last thing she said to him. He looked out at the ocean and whispered, "Made her forget where she was… She must really miss home." He stood in silence for another few minutes before reluctantly turning around and heading back to his house.

He reached his neighborhood within minutes and approached his home. A knot twisted in his stomach as he turned the doorknob and walked inside. His parents were already awake, getting ready for their jobs. His mother was cooking a full breakfast for herself and her husband while his dad sat on the couch reading the newspaper. He barely glanced up as Riku opened the door before going back to his news.

Riku silently took off his shoes and locked the front door. The sound of the sizzling bacon from the kitchen was the only noise in the house. After placing his shoes on the tile beside his parent's shoes, Riku went towards the kitchen and grabbed a cup from the cupboard to pour himself a glass of water. He passed by his mother as he pulled open the door to the cupboard. They had very similar appearances. Her hair was a light purple styled with loose curls and her eyes a bright teal.

His mom glanced behind her from her cooking station and spotted Riku's shoes by the front door. With a deep sigh, she shortly spoke up, "I told you to not leave your shoes by the door."

"I'm just getting a drink; then I'll take care of it." He replied as he poured some water into his glass.

He took a short sip and looked at his mom as she cooked. He rarely got the chance to just look at her and recently it seemed that her appearance was changing. Her skin was paler than normal and Riku noticed her weight gradually lowering. She seemed not much more than skin and bones anymore. And her once bright eyes were dulled and sullen. Something about her didn't seem right.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to strike up some sort of conversation. "How was Unmei Island?" When his mom didn't immediately reply, he added, "That's where you guys went on your trip right?"

His mother glanced at him with an unsure expression on her face. Inhaling deeply, she answered, "Yes, it was fine."

Riku's eyes slightly widened that she answered him and he continued, "What did you guys do there?"

"We…" She started to reply.

"Hey kid, don't you have something better to do?" His dad gruffly called from the living room.  
"Stop smothering your mom."

Tightening his hand around his cup, Riku bit his tongue and replied, "Alright, fine." He turned and placed his cup in the sink in silence. He grabbed the edges of the sink, fighting the urge to say something back to his dad. Taking a deep breath, he let go and went back to the living room to get his shoes. Without saying anything he grabbed his shoes and made his way towards his bedroom.

Closing the door behind him, he locked it and tossed his shoes on the floor; not caring about the specks of sand that bounced onto the carpet from the impact. He leaned back against the door and let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Out of exhaustion, he slid to a sitting position and lightly hit his head against the door. His mind instantly flooded with different thoughts about his situation.

Bringing one of his knees to his chest, he leaned his elbow on top of it and sighed. "Only a few more years." He whispered, staring up at the ceiling. "Then I'll be 18 and can leave this hell hole."

He closed his eyes and tried to forget where he was. His mind transported him back to the beach when he was sitting on the sand beside Hinata earlier that day. Allowing his memories to replay their conversation a small smile crept on his face and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

...

Hinata tiredly reentered Kairi's home, thankful that the door was still unlocked. The springy pull out couch bed seemed to be singing her name, calling her to sleep the moment she walked in. With a tired smile on her face she dragged her feet over and face planted on top of the mattress, instantly regretting the decision as metal prongs of the springs poked her ribs from the fall. With a sleepy grumble, she ignored the pain and rolled over, bringing the thin blanket with and snuggling into it. Within minutes her exhausted mind finally fell into slumber with thoughts about her conversation with Riku and everything that had happened that day. Unfortunately, it was short lived as her dreams were interrupted by a cool hand lightly shaking her shoulder.

"Hinata, sweetie," Hana's soft voice cut through her dream world, shattering any hope she had for sleep. "It's time to get up."

With a low grumble, Hinata opened one of her eyes to see Hana and Kairi standing over her. "I'm still tired…" She groggily whispered. "Maybe just ten more hours."

Hana rolled her eyes as Kairi giggled, "Oh you teenagers are all the same. I thought you said yesterday that the last thing you needed was sleep?"

"That was yesterday… this is today." Hinata replied with a groan, on the verge of telling her to back off due to the drowsy rage festering inside of her.

"I'll make you some coffee, Hinata." Kairi told her kindly. "Once you get up I'm sure you'll be fine."

The thought of hot coffee made her slightly perk up. Barely lifting her head to see Kairi preparing the coffee machine, she asked, "Do you have good creamer?"

Hana chuckled and finally left Hinata's side to head to the kitchen, "Yes, Kairi always makes sure to get the sweetest one."

Letting out a long breath, Hinata resigned, "Alright fine, I'll get up." She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Were you cold last night?" Hana asked.

"What?" Hinata looked over and asked. "Uh, no it was fine I think."

"Oh, I'm just surprised you slept in your coat." Hana pointed out.

Hinata looked down at her trench coat. She had forgotten to take it off before heading to bed. She glanced out the window, seeing that the sun was high up in the sky. "I must have slept a couple hours at least…" She whispered under her breath.

"What was that?" Hana called from the kitchen.

"Oh, um I don't know why I slept in my coat." Hinata called back. "Just forgot to take it off I guess."

"Did you sleep alright?" Kairi asked, turning to face Hinata as the coffee brewed.

She shrugged, "More or less."

"I'm so sorry you had to sleep on that awful mattress." Hana apologized. "I was thinking while Kairi is at school today we could go buy the furniture for your room. You'll be sharing a room with Kairi if that's alright."

Hinata smiled, "Sure! I shared a room with my sister back in my world, so I'm used to it."

Kairi poured a cup of coffee and noted, "I'm surprised you had to share a room. I thought you said your dad works in a castle."

Hana looked over at Hinata intrigued from the information. "A castle? That sounds lovely!"

Letting out a small chuckle as she got up from the bed, Hinata explained, "We didn't share a room because we had to necessarily. Aiko just really wanted to be with me whenever she could so she asked me if she could move into the room with me."

"Aw that's adorable!" Hana replied, "You are a great big sister."

"I don't know about that." Hinata replied, walking into the kitchen and going to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee. "But thanks."

"You sound like you were very close with Aiko." Kairi pointed out, going to the kitchen table with her coffee.

Hinata poured in the creamer, watching the white swirling with the dark brown liquid. "Yeah…" She quietly replied, "I mean, she was my sister and we got into disagreements, but she was my best friend too." Hana and Kairi fell silent until Hinata cleared her throat and turned around with a forced smile, "But enough about that. Am I going to be going to the same school as Kairi soon?"

Hana nodded and took a breath, before getting back to her cheery self. "Yes, we have an appointment with the principal this afternoon to begin working on your entrance paperwork."

"Great, more paperwork." Hinata chuckled, sitting at the table with the others and taking a sip of the coffee. She felt the hot liquid go through her, already energizing her from her restless night. "I'll have to get a uniform too then, huh?" She looked over at Kairi, "Do all the girls have to wear those plaid skirts?"

She smiled, "Yes, the girls wear the skirts and the guys the black pants." She noticed Hinata frown and asked, "Is that bad?"

"I just sort of hate skirts." Hinata admitted, before asking Hana. "Do you think the principle would be willing to let me wear pants instead?"

"I suppose we can ask." Hana nodded, "But don't be surprised if your request is denied."

"Yeah, I'm sort of expecting it to be." She admitted.

"Did you have to wear uniforms back on your world?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah, but they had a lot more options for the girls thankfully." She explained. "The girls could wear short of long skirts or even pants if they really wanted to; which is what I did." She chuckled.

"I wish we had more options at our school." Kairi sighed. "Wearing the same thing every day gets boring."

"Alright Kairi, you better finish getting ready," Hana interrupted the conversation as she looked at a watch on her wrist. "School starts in an hour."

Taking the last drink of her coffee, Kairi stood from her seat and brought her cup to the sink. "I hope you have a good day, Hinata!" She told her as she rinsed out her dish. "It will be fun once we can go to school together!"

"Yeah I'm looking forward to it too." She smiled in response.

Kairi left the kitchen to finish getting ready and Hana continued a small talk with Hinata for a few more minutes before getting up herself. Hinata finished her cup of coffee after Hana left and brought it to the sink. After rinsing it off she went to her shopping bags beside the pull out couch and rummaged through them for an outfit.

She pulled out a gray-blue long sleeve shirt with peekaboo holes along the tops of the shoulders. Placing it on the mattress she reached back into her bags and grabbed some tan pants with a tint of a dulled green color. She stuffed both the articles of clothes under her arm before heading towards the empty bathroom. Emerging a few minutes later, she was in her new outfit and had her long hair braided, wrapping from her back to the front of her right shoulder. She placed her pajamas in a nearby laundry hamper and walked into the empty living room. Kairi had already left to walk to school and Hana was busy putting on makeup in her room. Hinata looked down at the couch bed and spotted her coloring book she had tossed aside the night before. Picking it up, she also grabbed a small crayon box from her bag and brought both of them to the kitchen. She sat down and absently began coloring the first page of a beautifully designed butterfly. Her colors were struggling to stay inside the lines and it was swiftly aggravating her rather than being relaxing as Kairi insisted it would be. Letting out a long breath, she dropped her crayon and buried her face in her hands.

Glancing up, she whispered, "I wonder if Riku will be alright today…"

...

Riku still sat on the floor of his bedroom deep in slumber. A rough knock on his door startled him awake. He shot his eyes open and scrambled to his feet as the loud knocking continued. His pace was racing from the unexpected sudden noise and taking a deep breath he unlocked and slowly opened his door. His dad stood outside his room with a scowl plain on his face and his arms crossed.

"What do you want?" Riku asked him, not even attempting to hide the irritation in his voice.

"What you do in your own time is your business," His dad began to explain, his voice raised. "But missing school is not an option! Your mother and I have a reputation to maintain and we can't have a delinquent on our hands!"

"What are you talking about?" Riku asked, his mind still fogged from his sleep.

Pointing behind him, he informed him. "Some redhead just knocked on the door looking for you."

"A red head?" He asked.

"Yeah, and she had some homework for you because you never showed up for class!" His dad yelled.

"Is she still here?" Riku asked, trying to look past his dad.

"Didn't you hear a word I just said?" His dad asked.

Riku glared up at his dad, "Yeah I did! I didn't just skip out on school on purpose. I made an honest mistake and slept in. I won't do it again, alright?" He turned and looked at his clock, "What time is it anyways?" His eyes widened when he saw that his clock face read four in the afternoon.

"You better not, or your mother and I will…" His dad began to threaten.

"You'll what?" Riku asked, turning back around to face his dad. "You know I actually don't mind when I get I trouble because it's the only time you and mom even acknowledge I exist! I try to just stay out of your way and be the perfect kid; but all I get in return is…"

"Just shut up, alright?" His dad interrupted with an aggravated tone. "I don't know where you get your mouth from, you talk nonstop." His dad shook his head and waved his hand is dismissal, "Don't skip out on school anymore."

Riku looked up at his dad; his eyes mixed with hurt and anger. He wanted to lash back, but instead he sighed and shrugged, "Yeah, alright. I'll try my best." He was about to close the door but was stopped short when his dad stepped into the room. "What are you doing?" Riku asked stepping back as his dad stormed in.

Without answering, his dad pushed Riku's window open and yelled, "I thought I told you to go home!"

"Well… you see…" Hinata's voice stammered.

"Hinata?" Riku rushed forward and saw Hinata standing in his mom's garden. She held a folder in her arms in front of her braided hair.

"What are you doing in my wife's garden?" Riku's dad asked. His voice and face were obviously angered.

Hinata spotted Riku looking at her from the window and cleared her throat. "That's an excellent question; but a counter question is why you told me that Riku wasn't home when he's actually right there?"

Riku's dad glared down at Hinata and asked, "How do you even know him? I've never seen you before."

"Ah, he actually saved my life a few days ago." She told him, trying to make it seem nonchalant. "You might have read about it in the paper, I uh, fell from the sky."

"I don't read the paper." His dad quickly replied, getting a look from Riku. "Look kid, just go home and don't let me catch you on my property again."

"I need to give Riku his homework." Hinata told him, not backing down. "All of his other friends were too scared to come here themselves."

"And I suppose you're just Miss Brave here to impress your savior by standing up to his parents, is that it?" He asked her in a sarcastic tone.

"Uh, no," She replied, giving him an odd look. "I'm his friend and I was worried about him when I heard he didn't show up for school today; so I offered to take his missed work here myself to make sure he was alright."

"Well you see him right here, now go home or I'm calling authorities about you trespassing." He replied, waving her off and turning away.

"Funny how someone so concerned with their son being a 'delinquent' would keep him from getting his homework." She called after him. Riku's dad stopped in his tracks and looked back towards Hinata as she stepped forward and added. "Yeah I heard what you said. You might want to consider not yelling so loudly; especially when you have that precious reputation to consider."

"You better watch that mouth of yours young lady!" Riku's dad yelled, leaning out the window with his fist in the air while Hinata glared back undeterred.

"Dad stop!" Riku grabbed his arm. "I'll handle this."

"Don't ever let her come back to this house." His dad hissed, shoving Riku's hand off his arm and turning to stomp out of the room.

Once the door slammed closed, Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose and deeply sighed. "Did you really have to rile him up like that?"

"Did you really have to let him talk to you like that?" She asked, her adrenaline still high from the confrontation. Taking a deep breath to calm down, she tried again with a softer voice. "Sorry, you're fine. I just couldn't believe how he was talking to you."

"Yelling back at him only makes things worse." He told her, leaning against the window sill. "I usually just stay quiet and try to stay out of his way."

"Oh I see…" She quietly replied, looking down at her feet.

"Why are you in my mom's garden anyways?" He asked.

"Well, I really was bringing you what you missed from school today. You see, I was at the school with Hana filling out my entrance papers when one of your teachers came into the office…" She started explaining.

"The shortened version would be better." He interrupted.

"Oh, right sorry." She nervously chuckled. "I came to your front door first and your mother answered; she looks a lot like you by the way, and I asked if you were home. Then your dad came to the door and told me you weren't there and shut the door. So I started worrying about where you could be but then I heard some yelling and came to investigate. That's when I saw your dad yelling at you and he must have spotted me spying."

Riku ran one of his hands through his hair and felt the knot in his stomach tighten. Letting out a breath, he apologized. "I'm sorry you had to hear all of that. He hasn't gotten mad like that in a while."

"It's alright," She replied. "I'm sorry I yelled at your dad. I don't know where that came from."

"It was kind of awesome honestly." He chuckled. "I don't think I've ever seen someone talk to him like that; well other than me. When I was younger we would get into yelling matches all the time."

Hinata gave him a small smile in response. They stood in silence for a few seconds before she asked. "Hey, do you want to get out of here?" When he gave her a confused look, she explained. "Sora and Kairi were pretty worried about you; apparently you don't miss school very often. They're both at Sora's house and I bet they would be happy to see you. And uh, I might have told Sora that I saw you last night and he asked his mom if you could stay at his house for a few days."

He sighed, "Of course he did."

"Is it bad that I told him?" she asked.

"No," He shook his head. "I just don't like having to stay at other people's house just to get away from my parents." He crossed his arms and mumbled, "It's my problem, not theirs."

"I think Sora's just trying to help out." She assured him. "Plus you can just say it's an extended sleepover for fun. It doesn't have to have anything to do with your parents." When Riku didn't respond, she joked, "So are you going to sulk here all night or come with me?"

He looked up at her with a small frown, but seeing the smile on her face he began to lighten up. With a short laugh under his breath he nodded, "Alright, just let me pack my things."

"And make sure to bring your swords!" She reminded him excitedly.

"Of course," He replied with a smirk, before turning away and stuffing his things into his large backpack. Within a couple minutes he zipped up his bag and swung it over his shoulder. He turned towards the door and was about to open it, but he paused.

"You can just climb out the window." Hinata offered, noticing his reluctance to face his parents. "Unless you think your parents would freak out if they saw you missing."

"As long as I don't get in trouble somewhere they probably won't care." He admitted, turning back around and walking towards the window.

Hinata backed up a couple steps to give him room as he stuck his legs out of the large window first before slinking the rest of his body out. He fell a few feet but landed safely on the ground, right in between the colorful flower beds. Standing back up straight, he readjusted his backpack and already began walking out of the garden, making Hinata jog after him.

As they left the neighborhood, Riku asked. "So you seem pretty energetic for staying up all night. Did Hana let you sleep in?"

"No," She scoffed, "I got maybe two hours of sleep before her and Kairi woke me up." Riku side glanced at her, wondering how she could be so awake from only having two hours of sleep. She noticed his look and explained. "I'm basically running off of caffeine right now. I've had five cups of coffee?" She remembered. "And that's not even including the expresso I had with lunch."

"Oh man, you're going to crash later."

"I'm hoping so," She confessed with a laugh. "I'm not a big fan of this sleep deprivation thing. It's like I know I'm exhausted but I can't stop moving because I have so much caffeine in me."

He laughed in response. "I've had that feeling before; except I don't drink coffee. That stuff is disgusting."

"Somehow I knew you would be the type of person that wouldn't like coffee." She sighed. "That's alright though, more for me."

He smirked at her reply before asking, "So you mentioned earlier that you were at my school?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "I should be officially starting on Monday. I'm going to get my uniform tomorrow."

"Are they making you wear that skirt?" He asked. "A lot of girls complain about that."

"Actually, I convinced the principal to let me wear pants." She proudly told him. "The student council is pretty miffed with me, but…" She shrugged, "I don't really care."

Riku chuckled, "Wow, I'm surprised. You'll be the first girl to be wearing uniform pants."

"About time if you ask me!" She laughed, "Oh and I also signed up for electives. I'm taking sparring with you and Sora. And I think I'm taking some track and field class. I'm not sure; I didn't really pay attention after they told me I would be able to be in the sparring class."

"We're taking the same electives then," He informed her. "Are you in my grade too?"

"I think so; I know I'm not in the same grade as Sora and Kairi." She shrugged, "I guess we'll see on Monday."

"Speaking of the sparring class…" Riku started to say as he pulled his backpack in front of him and pulled out a wooden sword. "Here is one of my wooden weapons I told you about. I use them to practice outside of sparring class."

Hinata carefully grabbed it from him, holding it up and examining every detail. "This is amazing…" She mumbled, adjusting her hold on the hilt of the one-handed blade to get a feel for it. "It's almost perfect."

"Almost?" He asked, watching as she expertly handled the blade.

She quickly looked over at him and assured him, "Oh its great! You did a fantastic job."

"What isn't perfect about it?" He asked her again.

Letting out a breath, she informed him, "Well it's supposed to be a dirk short-sword right?" When he nodded, she told him. "Well the hilt isn't the right shape for it. It should be more cylindrical."

"Cylindrical?" He repeated.

"Yeah, I mean…"

"I know what it means; you just sound like a text book." He chuckled, reaching out his hand to retrieve his blade.

Her cheeks lightly blushed with embarrassment as she handed it back to him. "Sorry…" She sighed. "I can really nerd out on this type of stuff."

"No it's fine," He assured her, still smiling, "It's sort of cute." His voice choked on the last word as his cheeks blushed and he quickly corrected, "I-I mean cool. It's cool."

Hinata scoffed, not noticing his slip up due to her own embarrassment. "Well you would be the first to think so. My friends back home always teased me about it."

"Well now I'll have to careful whenever I make a new weapon." He sighed, trying to get past what he had just said. "You actually know what you're talking about."

"I'll try not to point out anything I notice wrong."

"No, I'd actually really appreciate it." He told her. "It would be nice to actually make good replicas."

"What you've been making so far is amazing!" She exclaimed. "I wouldn't even know how to begin making one of those things."

He smiled in response and looked up to see that they were approaching Sora's neighborhood. Taking a deep breath he asked, "You didn't say anything to Kairi about my parents, did you?"

Hinata looked over at him slightly confused by the sudden subject change, "Uh, no. You asked me not to, so I didn't even tell her that I saw you last night."

"Thanks." He replied.

"Yeah… but you should probably know that if she specifically asks me about them I might not be able to help from saying anything." She admitted.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I'm… awful at lying." She confessed. "I get super nervous and start saying things that don't make any sense. It's really embarrassing."

He sighed, "Alright, well if she ever tries asking you something about them just change the subject. If she gets annoyed enough she'll come ask me about it and I can lie about it."

Hinata chuckled, "Not the simplest of solutions but it will do." She glanced over at Riku and asked, "Why don't you want her to know about them?"

"It's not just her," He admitted, "It was hard enough having Sora know about it and then I told you last night… I just don't want people knowing about my problems."

"You have to confide in people sometimes." She told him. "Trying to handle everything yourself can get dangerous."

"Not for me." He replied quickly. "I deal with things better when I'm the only one that knows about it. I don't want to…" His voice trailed off and he stopped walking.

Hinata noticed he was no longer walking beside her and stopped as well. She looked back at him with a concerned look on her face. "What's wrong?" She asked.

He crossed his arms and sighed, "I don't know why I keep sharing everything with you."

"Maybe you just feel comfortable around me." She suggested. "I know I feel that way around you."

"Yeah, but why?" He asked. "I've known Sora my whole life and it's taken me years to open up to him. Even with Kairi; I still keep things from her, and she's been my friend for eight years now." He shook his head with mild frustration and admitted, "But with you… I've only known you for a day and I've basically shared my life story with you."

Hinata stared at him for a moment, seeing the obvious stress in his stance. Inhaling deeply she told him. "I wouldn't overthink it Riku. Honestly I have never been this openly comfortable or open with someone either; but I'm not worried about it… My dad always used to talk about destiny and fate; saying that there was a reason for everything. Maybe it's just fate for us to be friends."

"You really believe that type of thing?" He asked.

She shrugged, "It's the best explanation I've got." She motioned her head towards Sora's neighborhood, "Now come one, Sora's waiting for you. You wouldn't believe how he was acting when he heard you didn't show up at school today."

Riku snickered, "Oh I can imagine."

He quickened his pace and walked up beside Hinata to continue leading the way to his friend's house. He glanced over at her next to him. Her golden eyes were wandering, examining the island around them with fascination. She felt his stare and looked back at him, their eyes meeting.

"Um… yes?" She asked him.

He quickly darted his eyes away, "Uh, nothing… I hope you like the island."

"I do actually." She admitted. "It's beautiful and calm here."

"Do you miss your world?" He asked.

She slowly nodded, "Yeah… every minute." She looked down at her feet as she walked before shaking her head, "But I'm thankful to be somewhere safe and to meet people like you, Sora, and Kairi. So it isn't too bad."

He gave her a small smile in return. "Yeah… and once you start going to our school I'm sure you'll make new friends."

"Maybe," She halfheartedly agreed. "I don't usually make friends that easily." She noticed his look and chuckled, "Seriously, you three were a phenomenon."

"Whatever you say." He shrugged, "I'm not sure I believe you." He stopped when they reached Sora's front door, already hearing his best friend's muffled voice through the wall. Lifting his hand, he knocked on the door, ready to spend the next few days staying as far away from his parents as he could and to spend some quality time with all of his friends.


	5. New Sparring Partner

Chapter 5

The sky was mixed with warm hues of orange and red as the sun was beginning to set. Kairi lay on top of the curved trunk of the paopu tree reading a book while Hinata leaned against the trunk with her arms crossed; watching Sora spar with another young boy. The boy was about the same age as Sora and Kairi, with dirty-blonde hair framed around his face. He fought with a long red staff and slammed it against Sora's two handed blade that was carved out of wood. The two boys jumped back and forth exchanging hits while Hinata watched in silent intrigue.

The faint sound of creaking wood caught Hinata's attention and she turned her eyes away from the fight to see Riku walking along the wooden bridge towards the tree. She half smiled at him before turning her attention back to the other boys.

As Riku came up beside her and leaned against the tree trunk he asked. "How long has this been going?"

"About five minutes." She replied, not looking away from the match. "The boy with the staff isn't very good."

Riku smirked. "That's Tidus. He usually fights with a one-handed sword in sparring class."

She nodded in response. "I figured he was new with it. His technique is pretty lacking." She finally looked over at him and chuckled. "I'm surprised by how good Sora is though."

"Yeah, sparring is one class Sora stays awake for."

Hinata laughed and looked back at the fight before asking. "Did you make their weapons?"

"Uh, yeah." He admitted. "I made them last year when I just getting into making weapons; so I got a lot of the details off." He side glanced at her. "Did you notice what I got wrong?"

She nodded but assured him. "I did, but you got enough right I can still tell what you were going for." Motioning her hand towards Sora as he jumped back to avoid a hit from Tidus, she said. "Like I'm guessing Sora's is a single-handed Great Sword and Tidus's is a Quarterstaff."

"Actually yeah." Riku replied with a hint of admiration in his voice.

"You're scary good at that." Kairi cut in, glancing up from her book overhearing their conversation. "I mean I know you said you liked researching weapons and stuff, but how can you tell the exact type of weapon just by looking at it?"

Hinata nervously laughed. "Well I wasn't kidding when I said I nerd out over this type of stuff. I seriously read up on weapons all the time back on my world."

"Well your sparring teacher will definitely be impressed." Kairi told her, getting back to her book.

"If he's anything like my Master back home, he probably won't be, honestly." Hinata confessed with a sigh.

"Why not?" Riku asked, looking over at her.

Before Hinata could answer, Sora interrupted, "Hey Riku! Come on and fight a round with me!"

The two of them looked to Sora to see him proudly standing with his wooden blade resting on his shoulder as Tidus lay defeated on the sand.

"Shouldn't you stop while you're ahead?" Riku asked him with a hint of a smirk in his eyes. "You just had a victory, are you sure you want me to ruin that?"

"I'm feeling lucky! I just know today's the day I'll take you down!" Sora defended with a goofy grin.

Riku scoffed, "You wish!" He turned and reached down to his backpack that was lying in the sand by the tree; pulling out his own wooden blade.

Spinning it with ease in his hand, he smirked and walked forward to face Sora. He held up the blade in a defensive stance above his head while his other hand was outstretched towards his opponent. Sora immediately lunged towards him with his blade but Riku stepped out of the way with ease and jumped into the air, spinning and whacking his blade hard against Sora's back. Sora stumbled forward but was surprisingly resilient as he turned around and stabbed his blade forward, luckily hitting Riku in the chest and making him wince from the unexpected blow.

Hinata excitedly watched the match, not even noticing as Tidus walked up beside her with a small limp from his fight. He leaned back on the trunk and let out a long breath before looking over at Hinata.

"You're that new girl, right?" Tidus asked her.

She briefly tore her eyes from the match to look at the young boy beside her and shortly replied, "Yeah, I'm Hinata."

"Yeah I read about you in the paper. Pretty crazy what happened" Tidus told her before asking. "Are you going to start coming to school soon?"

A slight frown pulled at the corner of her mouth as he kept insisting on conversation when there was such an interesting fight going on. Letting out a breath she forced a smile and looked over at him. "I am. I'm actually starting tomorrow actually. I'll be in the same class as Riku."

"Nice!" Tidus replied with a childish grin.

Hinata smiled in return and then looked back at the fight. Riku and Sora were neck and neck it seemed, both of them already out of breath as they continued to exchange blows.

Her show was once again interrupted as Tidus leaned forward so she could see him and asked. "So what electives are you taking? Are you into art or maybe cooking?"

She let out a long breath, badly hiding the fact that she wasn't interested in speaking. "I'm taking Sparring and Track." She replied, barely glancing his way as she answered.

"Sparring?" He repeated with a laugh. "Finally Selphie will have another girl to fight against in class." He crossed his arms and stood proudly. "I'm in sparring too. That round I just did against Sora? I do that sort of thing all the time! I usually win though." He stretched his arms and asked with a cocky tone. "What did you think of my moves? Pretty impressive, huh?"

Without meaning to, she snorted out a short laugh from his question; quickly clearing her throat when she noticed the confused look he gave her. "You weren't too bad." She replied. "I'll have to see how you fight with your preferred weapon."

"My preferred weapon?" He asked.

"Well yeah," She shrugged, looking over at him and explaining. "That staff obviously isn't what you normally use. Your stance is all off and you aren't placing your hands correctly. You seem to be using it as if you were still fighting with a blade; but staffs work differently. You should focus on…" Her voice trailed off when she noticed the surprised look he gave her. Clearing her throat, her cheeks flushed and she looked away. "I mean… never mind. Don't worry about it."

She tried to ignore the confused and surprised expression on Tidus's face, but she couldn't help but notice the faint sound of Kairi's giggle.

"Tidus, are you comin'?" A boy's voice called from farther down the beach. Hinata looked over with Tidus and saw a young boy with bright orange hair sticking up behind a blue headband waving over at them. "Selphie and I are about to get some food. You're in, ya?"

"Y-yeah I'll be right there!" Tidus turned back towards Hinata. "That's my friend Wakka, I should probably go." He rubbed the back of his neck and his cheeks barely blushed. "I'll-uh, see you later, Hinata. It was nice to meet you."

Without giving her a chance to respond he ran off to hang out with his other friends. As he ran away, Hinata looked after him with a frown on her face.

"You sure scared him away." Kairi told her with a laugh. "I don't he was expecting that from you."

Hinata sighed and finally turned back to the fight, but it was too late as Sora had finally fallen back from exhaustion and Riku stood victoriously.

"You're giving up already? I thought you were feeling lucky today?" Riku goaded him, laughing when Sora only half-waved him off in response.

"What, you're done?" Hinata complained. "Man, I missed most of it."

"You did?" Both Riku and Sora asked in unison.

Sora sat up from the sand. "Why weren't you watching?"

"Yeah I was interested in hearing what you thought of my technique." Riku added, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"That other friend of yours was talking to me." Hinata told them.

"Tidus?" Sora asked.

"Yeah," Hinata nodded.

"Where is he?" He asked.

Kairi giggled and cut in. "He asked Hinata what she thought of his fighting and I think her response scared him off."

Hinata rolled her eyes and playfully smacked Kairi's leg, making her laugh. "No, one of his other friends, Wakka I think, called him away."

"What did you tell him about his fighting?" Sora asked.

Riku chuckled and surmised, "You told him he stunk, didn't you?"

"Well not in those exact words." Hinata admitted.

"Why did you tell him that?" Sora asked.

"He asked!" Hinata defended.

Riku smirked, "Well enough about that; do you want to try a round Hinata? I have some extra blades in my backpack."

"Yeah, I really want to see how you fight." Sora agreed with a grin.

"Unless you suddenly made dao blades since the last time I checked I think I'll pass." She put up her hands while she talked. "I made sure the sparring room had them when I took my tour of the school on Friday, so you guys can see tomorrow."

"Why not just try one of the other weapons?" Sora suggested.

"And let that be my first impression of how I fight?" She asked. "No thank you."

"You guys can fight to your heart's content tomorrow." Kairi told them, closing her book and sitting up on the trunk. "The sun's almost gone."

"Oh, right!" Sora remembered, jumping up from the sand and running over the paopu trunk. He swung up and sat beside Kairi, nudging her with his shoulder with a goofy grin plastered on his face.

Kairi giggled in response and playfully nudged him back as Hinata pulled herself up and sat on the other side of her.

"Ugh, get a room you two." Riku rolled his eyes as he walked towards the tree and placed his blade back in his backpack.

"Wh-what?" Sora asked; his cheeks burning as the girls chuckled in response. "I wasn't doing anything."

"Uh-huh," Riku replied, leaning against the trunk and crossing his arms.

His elbow barely brushed against Hinata's bare leg. He glanced up at her as she silently watched the golden sunset. Kairi had convinced her to wear a turquoise tank top to add some color to her black shorts and plain tennis shoes. The sun shined off of the bright color brilliantly and worked well with her golden eyes. Hinata noticed his stare and glanced down at him with a smile while swaying her leg to hit his arm. He smirked in response and forced himself to look towards the sunset as the last few slivers of sunlight disappeared under the horizon.

They sat in silence for a couple minutes before Sora spoke up, "So Hinata," He leaned forward so she could see him. "Are you excited to start school tomorrow?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I mean I'm a little nervous honestly but I'm also looking forward to it. It will give me something to do."

"You're in the same grade as Riku, right?" Kairi asked.

"I should be." She replied. "So that should be fun."

"He can introduce you to some of the other girls in the class!" Kairi told her. "They are always asking him for extra help on homework."

"They are?" Hinata asked, glancing down at Riku.

He shrugged, "Yeah, I don't help them very often though since I have better things to do with my time."

Hinata laughed, "Ouch! Well I could help them if they need it."

"I'm pretty sure they only want Riku to help them." Kairi pointed out.

"Why?" Hinata asked.

Riku let out a long sigh. "Kairi's got it in her head that all those girls only ask for help because they want to get some time alone with me."

"Why don't they just talk to you if they're that desperate?" Hinata suggested. "Like outside of school?"

"Honestly I hardly ever see them around the island." Riku admitted, before shaking his head. "I don't think I fully believe Kairi's theory anyways."

"Oh you guys just don't understand crushes." Kairi rolled her eyes with a laugh. "You can't just go up and talk to the person you have a crush on."

"Why not?" Sora asked, sitting up straight. "Are you not supposed to do that?"

"Well I don't follow that rule," Kairi admitted, "But most girls do."

"I think you're just making things up." Riku sighed.

"What? Am not!" Kairi objected, making the others laugh in response.

They continued to chat about various things until the sun had completely disappeared and the moon began to slowly rise up into the sky. Hinata looked up at the sky as the stars one by one began appearing through the black veiled sky and got lost in thought about her home.

She barely noticed when Kairi called her name. Shaking her head, she stammered, "uh-what?" She looked over to see Riku and Sora already beginning to walk on the wooden bridge back towards their tethered boats. As Kairi stood in front of her with her arms crossed. "Did you say something?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, we're headed back to the main island. We should make sure to get sleep tonight." Kairi told her.

"Oh, yeah, alright." Hinata nodded, sliding off the trunk and landing on the uneven sand.

They walked together back towards the boats and got there just as Riku and Sora were untethering their boats. Kairi walked over to Sora and chatted with him and Hinata went over to Riku.

"I'll row back to the island." She offered as she watched him untie the rope holding the boat to the short pier.

"Well if you insist." He smirked, standing back up straight before chuckling, "But no, I've got it. I couldn't make you do the rowing."

"I wouldn't mind." She assured him.

"Just get in the boat." He told her, motioning his head towards it.

Hinata laughed, "Alright, fine, fine."

She carefully placed one of her feet on the boat as it bobbed on top of the waves. Her foot touched the wood just as a larger wave passed through, making her stumble forward. She let out a surprised yelp as she fell, but her fall was stopped short as Riku instinctively grabbed her arm.

"You alright?" He asked, trying to keep himself from snickering. "That wasn't the most graceful."

She scoffed as she straightened herself out, "Yes I'm fine. I'm not exactly used to these boat things."

"Boat things?" He asked, letting out a chuckle. He held onto her arm for support as she finished getting into the boat. Once she was sitting he got in himself with ease and sat across from her so he could row.

"Are you coming lovebirds?" Sora called out to them, trying to give Riku some payback for all the teasing.

Riku rolled his eyes as Hinata called back, "Oh please Sora; we were just making sure to give you and Kairi a little extra alone time together!"

"Wh-what?" Sora stammered as his plan backfired and Kairi laughed under her breath. "W-we don't need alone time!"

Riku burst out laughing from Hinata's unexpected comment. "That was priceless," he told her as he began rowing back. "I think you're going to do just fine here."

Hinata laughed back. "Well thanks. I hope so."

They rowed in silence for a few minutes. Hinata looked back up at the stars with a small frown on her face. Riku glanced at her as he rowed and eventually spoke up.

"Thinking about home?" He asked her.

She reluctantly looked away from the sky and down towards her hands in her lap. "Yeah." She quietly replied. "I'm excited to start my life here, but I still miss my old one." She glanced over at him and blushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get all depressed on you."

"No it's fine; I'm the one that asked." He shrugged. "Do you ever want to try to try to find your world again?"

"Is that even possible?" She asked. "And even if it was… would it really be the best idea to go adventuring like that on my own?"

"I'd go with you." He offered, noticing the surprised look she gave him.

"Really?" She asked, "You barely know me."

"Yeah, but you've seen my parents. There isn't much for me here." He confessed, ignoring the grumble in the back of his mind that he was once again being open with her. "I've wanted to leave this place for years."

"So it isn't so much you want to help me," She replied with a frown.

"Is that bad? He asked, not understanding her reaction.

"Uh, no it's fine." She assured him, shaking her head. "I don't know why I reacted like that. It would make sense that you wouldn't be willing to leave just to help me; we've only known each other for a few days. I just…" She ran one of her hands through her long hair and sighed, "I'm just tired. Maybe I just need some sleep."

"Yeah maybe," He nodded.

They fell back to silence until they reached the shore back on the island. Riku got out of the boat first and held out his hand to aid Hinata.

"Wouldn't want you face planting again." He told her as she grabbed his hand.

"Ha ha…" She sarcastically laughed back while she stepped back onto the pier. Letting go of his hand once she was out of the boat, she turned and saw Sora rowing towards them with Kairi.

"You guys left after us!" Sora pointed out as he breathlessly pushed himself to keep rowing. "How did you make it back before us?"

"I'm just faster than you." Riku replied with a shrug and smirk. "Try to keep up next time."

"I did try!" Sora told him as he stopped the boat beside the pier.

Kari climbed out of the boat and walked up to Hinata. "You ready to head home?"

Hinata half-smiled in return, "Uh, yeah." She glanced over at Riku with a genuine smile. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, see you then." He smiled back, watching as Kairi and Hinata turned to leave.

Sora tethered his boat and stood up beside Riku. "You still need to stay at my place?" He asked. When Riku didn't respond, he wrapped his arm around his shoulder, "I'll take that as a yes! Come on, mom rented this awesome action movie we can watch tonight!"

"Don't we have school tomorrow?" Riku asked him, letting Sora lead him towards his house. "And it's not another one of those overdone zombie movies, is it?"

"What's wrong with zombie movies?" Sora demanded, removing his arm from Riku's shoulder. "What if a zombie outbreak happened on the island? We have to be prepared!"

"Is that seriously why you watch them?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "If an outbreak actually happened I'm pretty sure you, me, and Hinata could take them out no problem."

"Well you and me, of course." Sora agreed, "But I don't know about Hinata. We haven't even seen her fight yet. And what if she doesn't know what a zombie even is?"

"I'm pretty sure she knows what one is." He sighed. "Plus with how much she knows about weapons I think she would be able to take care of herself."

Sora nodded in response but surprisingly didn't say anything more about the subject. Riku glanced over at him slightly confused but took the silence regardless. They continued to walk towards Sora's home for a few minutes until Sora eventually spoke up.

"So… uh, Riku…" He slowly spoke and stopped walking.

"What is it?" Riku asked, stopping his own walk and looking back at Sora.

"Do you like Hinata?" He asked him, looking up at his friend with uncertainty in his big blue eyes.

"What?" Riku explained, his cheeks barely flushing before he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What type of question is that? Did Kairi put you up to this?"

Sora sheepishly chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Was it that obvious?"

He let out a slightly exasperated breath as he grumbled, "I don't know where she gets her ideas from." Crossing his arms, he explained to Sora. "I don't know how I feel about Hinata. It's too early to tell."

"You told her about your parents." Sora pointed out. "And you haven't even told Kairi about that."

Riku uncomfortably ran his hand through his hair. "Look, Sora, I'd rather not talk about this right now."

"Oh, alright." He seceded. "Maybe another time."

"Doubtful," Riku told him as he continued to walk towards Sora's house.

"What? Why not!" Sora called in reply and jogged after him. "Hey, Riku, wait up!"

Riku laughed in response and quickened his pace into a run, making Sora race after him.

"A race?!" Sora complained. "Aw, no fair, you got a head start!"

The two friends raced back to Sora's home where they watched the action movie Sora was so adamant about before heading off to bed.

The following morning the four friends walked up the steep hill that led up to their school. Hinata straightened her new uniform shirt as she walked with the others.

"Why does this have to be white?" She complained under her breath as she tried to rub off the brown coffee stain that was splattered along the bottom of the fabric.

Kairi laughed, "You're only saying that because of the stain."

"Well yeah," She replied with a sigh. "If the shirts were like a blue or something it would barely be visible." She placed her hand on her forehead. "Great first impression… A big coffee stain on my new shirt."

Riku chuckled as Sora spoke up, "It's alright Hinata. I can barely notice it!"

"Seriously?" She asked, glancing down at her shirt. "What do you think Riku?"

He looked over at her and examined her clothes. The white button up shirt was snugger on her than a majority of the other girls at the school since she was much curvier than the rest of them and the school didn't have any larger sizes. She had rolled up the sleeves to match Kairi and he could spot a small stain on her shirt collar; but the blue plaid tie covered most of it up. He glanced down and noticed the splatter of coffee splotches along the bottom of the shirt.

He smirked and shook his head, "It's pretty obvious."

Hinata sighed, "Gee thanks."

"Riku!" Kairi scolded in a harsh whisper, nudging him with her elbow.

"Hey, she asked." He defended, glancing back at her one more time, before adding. "What were you doing to spill that much?"

"I was carrying my cup of coffee back to my room so I could grab something and I bumped into Hana. I didn't even see her coming towards me." She explained, not being able to tear her eyes away from the stain.

They reached the top of the hill and stood in front of the large school. Students were already pouring in as the time for the start of class was nearing.

Kairi grabbed Sora's arm and walked forward. She waved to her friends, "We'll see you at lunch! Good luck today Hinata!"

She looked up from her shirt and forced a smile. "Thank Kairi. See you guys later."

Sora and Kairi waved before turning to walk into the school. Once they had left, Riku looked over at Hinata and noticed her still mourning the loss of her clean shirt.

"Don't worry so much," He told her. "Just play it off like you meant to do it."

"I meant to stain my brand new uniform shirt?" She asked him. "Plus you know my lying skills…"

He chuckled, "Good point… I still can't believe how bad you are at it…"

Hinata scoffed and replied, "See I told you I was bad! And I tried your whole idea of just changing the subject instead of lying."

"Well I at least expected you to ease into the new subject, not spew out random facts." He told her. "I mean geez; Kairi asked you about my family on Thursday night and you just flat out started talking about cats and how much they like milk…"

"I got really uncomfortable and uneasy, so I just said the first thing that came to mind." She defended before laughing, "And to be fair, there were cats on the TV when we were talking and it made her stop asking about your parents."

"That's because I stepped in and smoothed everything over." He reminded her. "But whatever, let's get to class."

Hinata nodded and followed Riku as he led her inside the school. The halls were filled with students rushing to their classes. The pushed and brushed past Hinata causing her to have a tough time keeping up with Riku until he stopped in front a long line of tall blue lockers. Riku grabbed a lock that was placed through a metal hole in front of a certain locker. Within seconds it was unlocked and he opened it to grab a couple books.

"Have you been assigned your locker yet?" He asked her.

"No, I don't think so." She replied, looking around at the other students bustling around them. "It's a madhouse here." She told him, looking back at him as he closed his locker.

"Yeah, you learn how to navigate it." He replied, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the way of a group of girls chatting that were not looking where they were going.

"Thanks," She told him.

He nodded and continued walking. "Our first class is History. It's right down the hall."

"Alright." She nodded, tightly grasping her backpack straps around her shoulders and following after him.

They went from class to class together. Hinata had to continually stand up and introduce herself; despite being in the class with relatively the same students every subject. Riku would watch her stand up, her once confident stature he had seen before suddenly replaced with an unsure shyness every time she had to speak in front of the class. Granted, he wasn't too great at speaking in front of everyone either, but he didn't get nearly as nervous as her. She would always take a deep breath once she was finished speaking and would be allowed to sit back down again.

Soon lunch finally approached and sparring class would be next. Riku once again led the way towards the outdoor cafeteria as Hinata followed behind. The moment they came outside, Hinata's uneasiness seemed to melt away. A smile appeared on her face as she looked at the eating area. Wooden picnic tables were lined together in multiple rows under a large canopy. They could already spot Sora and Kairi sitting at a picnic table that overlooked the breathtaking scenery of the rest of the island below the hill. Hinata began to walk forward to sit with her friends but was stopped when Riku grabbed her arm. She quizzically looked back at him before he asked.

"Why were you all nervous in class?" He asked. "You weren't like that at all before."

Her cheeks partially flushed as she confessed, "I just get really nervous in large crowds. It's like I can't control myself, I get really uncomfortable and I doubt myself." She looked up at him with an unsure expression. "Did it bother you?"

He loosened his grip on her arm and stammered, "Uh-well, no. I was just curious I guess." Noticing her still unsure expression, he added. "You shouldn't worry about what I think or anyone else for that matter. What matters is that you are happy with you. Your opinion is the only one that matters."

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

Riku smiled back and examined her face. Her golden eyes really intrigued him. He had never seen that color in someone's eyes before and he often found himself admiring how the sun glistened off of them. They stared at each other for a few seconds before they both felt other people's stares burning into them. Riku glanced around and could see several other girls from around the cafeteria glaring them down. Clearing his throat he let go of her arm that he realized he was still holding.

"We should get to Sora and Kairi." He suggested, already walking forward. Once he was out of ear shot of her. He whispered under his breath. "Why do I act like that with her?"

Hinata pushed a few strands of her long hair behind her ear and followed after him. She approached the picnic table with her friends and sat down beside Kairi. "Hey guys," she greeted.

"Hey Hinata!" Sora replied, looking up from his food. "How was your first day so far?"

She shrugged, "A little nerve racking. Every teacher had me stand and introduce myself; which got a little old. Plus everyone who has even watched the news or read a newspaper recently has at least heard about me; so it seemed a little pointless."

"Has anyone asked about the incident?" Kairi asked.

"Surprisingly, no." She replied as she pulled out her lunch box. "I think a lot of them are scared of me, honestly. Were they like that when you first came here Kairi?"

"I don't remember." She sighed, absently mixing her bowl of soup. "I was young enough that I don't think a lot of the other kids really understood that I wasn't from the island."

"I'm sure everyone will warm up to you." Sora assured her. "You've got us at least!"

Hinata smiled. "That's true."

"Are you excited for sparring class?" He asked. "We'll finally get to see you fight!"

She chuckled, "Yeah I really am looking forward to it. It will be a good stress reliever."

"Sparring is a stress reliever?" Kairi asked with a sigh. "I'll never understand you guys."

Hinata and Sora laughed in response as Riku remained silent; lost in thought as he continued to eat. Soon the school bell rang, alerting the end of lunch. Hinata excitedly followed Riku and Sora towards the locker rooms so they could change into their sparring uniforms. She went into the girls' area and found a secluded corner where she could change in peace. Taking off the snug uniform, she changed into a white cotton robe that reached to her mid-thigh and loose black pants. She tied a black belt around her waist and put her hair up in a ponytail before packing up her uniform in her bag. Leaving the locker room, she found Sora and Riku waiting for her.

"You ready?" Sora asked her with a grin.

When she nodded with a smile he led the way through the hall into a large room. Metal weapon racks lined the walls where different types of blades and various weapons were displayed, ready for use. A huge navy-blue mat covered most of the floor to allow for sparring matches. Despite the vastness of the room, it still held a faint musky scent and felt a little stuffy. Hinata paid it no mind as she spotted a pair of dao blades on one of the racks.

"Who do you want to fight?" Sora asked her.

She turned towards him and shrugged, "I'm fine with whoever."

"How about Riku?" Sora suggested, patting his friend on the back and ignoring the look he knew he was giving him.

"Sure!" Hinata agreed.

"Well what do you say, Riku?" Sora asked him, grinning at his friend.

"Yeah, whatever." Riku shrugged before smirking. "You sure you can handle yourself against me?"

Hinata rolled her eyes, "I'm sure I can manage."

"Well you two play nice!" Sora told them; laughing to himself when Riku glared at him. He waved and walked away to find his own sparring partner.

"What was that about?" Hinata asked, once Sora was gone.

Riku let out a long breath and placed his hand on his forehead. "It's nothing. Him and Kairi are teaming up and giving me a hard time about something."

"Oh," She replied, placing her hand to her chin and thinking. "Maybe we should team up against them."

His interest perked up and he looked over at her. "You think so?"

"Yeah, I think it could be fun!" She chuckled.

He smirked in response, his previous uneasiness melting away.

"Welcome to Sparring class." An older man walked up to Hinata, wearing a similar uniform to the rest of the class. His black hair was cut short and a trimmed beard covered his toned face. "I am Master Zhoa; I'll be your instructor."

Hinata smiled and slightly bowed, much to Riku's amusement. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She greeted with respect. "Thank you for letting me join your class."

"Of course, we could always use more girls in this class." He replied with a smile. "Have you chosen your sparring partner for the day?"

"Yes, actually I was thinking I would spar with Riku." She nodded and motioned her hand towards him.

Zhao looked between them with a slightly concerned expression. "Are you certain? Riku is at the top of this class."

"She'll be alright." Riku stepped in. "This isn't the first time she's sparred."

"Well alright Riku, I'll trust your judgment." Zhoa nodded before turning to address the rest of the class. "Alright everyone, you know the drill. Grab your weapons and a sparring partner. I will be coming around to each of you to give tips and observe."

As he walked away, Hinata had already turned and jogged to grab her dao blades. They were a pair of single edged blades with a red braided cord wrapped around the hilts. She grabbed them and easily spun them in her hands as a smirk appeared on her face. Turning back towards Riku she saw he had already grabbed a one-handed blade and was waiting for her back on the mat. She walked back towards him and stopped with a few feet between them; holding the blades at her sides with the sharp edges facing out.

"So what was with that bowing?" He asked her, before getting into his own fighting stance.

She flushed, "Do you guys not do that here?"

He chuckled, "I've never seen it."

"Oh," she replied before laughing, "I guess my world had different traditions." She tightened her hands around the hilts of her blades, "Now are you ready to fight or what?"

"I was waiting on you." He told her with a smirk.

"Don't go easy on me because I'm a girl." She warned him.

"Wouldn't dream of it," He assured her.

He stepped forward, swinging his blade in front of him to gauge her reaction. She instinctively bent forward, letting the sword go over her and the moment it had she stood back up straight and swung one of her blades towards Riku's shoulder. He blocked her hit and ducked as she brought her other blade towards his head. As she got ready for her next attack, he took the opportunity and jumped towards her; spinning midair and bringing his sword towards her neck. Not having enough time to block his hit, she dropped to the mat and somersaulted out of the way, swiping one of her blades against the back of his knee as she straightened back to her feet.

His leg bent forward, making him stumble as her blade met its mark. He straightened back up within seconds and made sure there was distance between them. She was better than he anticipated. Her technique was scarily precise and given her obsession with the subject it wasn't surprising to him. He had to figure out a new strategy.

A smirk appeared on his face as he began to circling her, forcing her to turn constantly; putting her more on the defensive but also letting surprise be on his side whenever he decided to strike. She didn't allow him to make the first move as she instead sprang towards him; swinging both blades over her head to come down on top of him. He blocked both of her blades with his own sword, but the pressure made him fall back. He used the opportunity and swiped his leg under hers, literally sweeping her off her feet. She gasped as she lost her footing and fell to the mat. Her back hit the ground hard, making her lose her breath. She looked up just in time to see Riku bringing his sword back down towards her. She spun out of the way, letting his sword hit the mat and got up to her knees with her chest heaving. Trying to catch a breath, she readied her hands to get back into the fight, but then realized that she no longer had her blades. She looked back by Riku and saw them still on the mat where she had fallen.

"Oh, come on…" She groaned breathlessly, bringing her hand to her forehead.

Riku chuckled, also out of breath and pushed himself to stand. "I guess that means I win." He walked over to her and held out his hand to help her up.

She rolled her eyes as she accepted his help and stood. "By default I guess you do. It won't always be like that though, I promise."

"Whatever you say," He replied, crossing his arms with a smirk.

She laughed in response and moved past him to grab her blades. As she walked she realized that there wasn't any other noise in the room. She stopped and looked up to see the other students in the room staring at them. "Wh-what?" She stammered. Her cheeks flushed as she felt everyone's stares.

"Alright class, show's over. Back to your own matches!" Master Zhao stepped forward from the group as they slowly began getting back to their own fights. Stopping in front of Hinata, he told her. "Your fighting skills are very admirable. It has been quite some time since I have seen someone so precisely follow techniques."

"Oh… thank you." She replied, glancing back at Riku. "Riku's really good at it too; although, he improvised a little bit."

"This is something I would like to see from you as well." Zhao told her. "You obviously have mastered the basic techniques; but in this class I think it is time you start learning to create your own style."

She nodded in response not sure what to say.

"I'll keep Riku as your partner for a while." He continued. "He'll be a good teacher to help you master your own techniques." He looked up and nodded at Riku, before turning around to help other students.

Once he was gone, Riku walked up beside her. "So you ready to get started?"

She bent down and grabbed her blades. Looking down at them in her hands she reluctantly nodded, "I guess so."

"Do you not want to branch out?" He asked.

Looking up at him, she confessed. "I do… It's just a little out of my comfort zone is all."

"Well you were reacting well to me when I would make up my own moves." He assured her. "Even though I was trying to mostly stay with techniques so you would be more comfortable. If you…"

"So… you went easy on me." She interrupted with a sigh. "I thought I asked you not to do that."

"I wasn't done," He went back to what he was saying. "I was just going to say that if you want to seriously get into fighting you need to be able to improvise. Knowing the basics and the techniques is helpful, but in real world fighting you can't just rely on that."

"Well like I told you the other night, I don't want to seriously get into fighting." She reminded him before adding. "But if Master Zhao wants me to learn to branch out for the class I will." She looked over at him and asked. "But seriously, did you go easy on me?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Yes and no?" Seeing the immediate glare in her eyes he explained. "I just kept back from using the moves I made up because I thought it would make it unfair. If you kept getting out from all of my attacks I would have eventually used them."

"Well fight me using them then." She told him, determined to prove herself.

"Maybe later," He suggested, "Let's just get working on what Master Zhao asked us to do."

"Alright, fine." She shortly replied with a sigh.

The rest of the class was spent with Riku helping Hinata figure out how she could make her already learn techniques her own. At first she was prickly with her attitude but the longer they worked, her previous agitation was replaced with intrigue. Riku's knowledge about the subject impressed her and he got so serious when he would give her suggestions; which for some reason made her smile. Before they knew it the school bell rang and they had to replace their weapons and head to the showers.

"We'll keep working at it." Riku told her.

"Yeah, I look forward to it." She replied with a small smile. When Riku smiled back before walking away, an unfamiliar feeling of butterflies fluttered in Hinata's heart. She shivered from the sensation and shook her head, not knowing where it could have come from.

"Uh hi, Hinata." Tidus's voice brought her from her thoughts. She turned around and saw him standing in front of her, his eyes were averted from hers while one of his hands rubbing the back of his neck. "I saw that fight with Riku. You're really good."

"Thank you…" she replied, "I'm sorry, could you tell me your name again?"

"Oh, it's Tidus." He reminded her. "We met yesterday. I fought with that red staff; remember?"

"I remember meeting you." She assured him, giving him a half-smile and chuckling. "I'm just really bad with names." They stood in an awkward silence for a couple seconds, before she asked. "So… did you use the staff again today?"

"No, I went back to a one-handed blade." He explained, finally looking up at her and smirking. "I beat Sora today too."

Hinata grinned, "Hey, good job!"

Tidus's cheeks flushed as she complimented him and he suddenly averted his eyes again. "Thanks. I uh… I should get going. See you around." He scurried away from Hinata and she watched him leave.

"Why is he so nervous around me?" She asked herself.

Shrugging it off, she turned and brought her blades back to the weapons rack before leaving the sparring room entirely. She took a shower in the locker room and changed back into her school uniform. As she walked out of the locker room, she braided her long still damp hair and let it fall in front of her right shoulder; covering a majority of the coffee stain on her shirt. She saw Riku and Sora waiting for her in the hallway and she smiled at both of them.

"Took you long enough." Riku complained, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning on.

"Yeah sorry, I had to wait for an open shower. Apparently the Cheerleading elective lets out at the same time." She apologized. She glanced at Riku beside her as they walked, getting the same flutter in her heart as before. Shaking her head, she averted her eyes, trying to figure out what that feeling was.

"I saw you fight Riku," Sora spoke up. "That was so awesome! We have to spar tonight!"

Hinata chuckled. "Thanks Sora. But I won't be able to fight outside of class until I get a pair of dao blades of my own."

"Why doesn't Riku just make you some?" Sora suggested. "He's made weapons for a lot of people around the island!"

"I haven't made dao blades in a long time." Riku pointed out. "But I can give it a try."

"That would be great if you could!" Hinata told him. "I can help you with the details too if you want. Maybe you will be able to make them clasp together this time!"

"Alright," He replied, "We'll get the wood for them this weekend."

"Well, we reached my class." Sora stopped walking and told them. "I'll see you after school!"

Hinata waved back as Riku simply smirked. Once he disappeared inside, Riku led the way to their final class of the day. As they walked, Riku spoke up.

"We have math last, that's where all those girls usually ask for help on the homework." He began. "I was thinking when they ask next I could offer you to help them instead."

She looked over at him slightly confused, "Uh, sure, if they'll let me. Do you not want to help them?"

He shrugged, "Honestly, I don't really care either way. I just thought it would be a good way for you to meet some of the other students, especially other girls."

She smiled and nudged him with her shoulder while teasing, "Aw, I didn't know you cared."

With a scoff but the hint of a smirk, he defended, "Hey I don't have to help you out; it was just an idea."

A small chuckle escaped her before she explained, "No, no, I really appreciate it. Thank you."

"Yeah," He half-smiled in response before turning towards their classroom. "Well here it is."

Hinata nodded and followed him inside. The class went similar to the other classes that day. The teacher had Hinata stand and introduce herself to everyone; before getting to the lesson of the day. Hinata and Riku had seats assigned beside each other; Riku sat next to the large window that overlooked the gorgeous view of the island outside and Hinata was on the right of him. She kept catching him glancing over at her, which she assumed was to make sure she was keeping up with the material; but she could have sworn she also felt the burns of stares coming from others in the class. Her eyes scanned the room every few minutes but she was never actually able to catch who was staring at her. Taking a deep breath, she instead just focused on taking notes in her journal.

Soon the bell rang through the room and the students raced out of the room. No girls approached Riku or Hinata about needing help with the homework; which Riku found odd. Regardless, he grabbed his backpack and waited for Hinata to stand before leading the way out of the classroom. They stopped at his locker and he put away a few books.

"I'm surprised none of the girls asked for help today." Riku spoke up. "They usually ask every day."

"Maybe they figured it out on their own today." She suggested in response, eager to get outside and leave the school for the day.

Riku shrugged, "Maybe." He closed and locked his locker. "C'mon, let's head outside."

Hinata followed close behind him as he left the busy halls and pushed open the large glass doors that led outside. The sun immediately made them shield their eyes as they stepped out of the building. A warm wind brushed passed them while they looked around. Sora and Kairi had yet to come out, so Riku walked over to the lone picnic bench where he had sat with them a few days prior. Hinata came up beside him but didn't sit down. She looked out at the amazing view from the top of the hill that overlooked the entire island.

"This place is breathtaking." She broke the silence.

"Yeah…" Riku replied; the uninterested tone in his voice betrayed his words.

She turned towards him and saw him sitting on top of the picnic table. They stared at each other for a moment before Hinata reluctantly spoke up. "I have been meaning to ask you about last night…"

"What about last night?" He asked.

"Were you serious about wanting to find a way to leave the island?" She asked, looking down at her hands fidgeting uncomfortably in front of her.

"Yeah," He replied without having to think about it. "Why?"

"Do you have any idea how we could?" She asked.

His eyes widened and he jumped off the table. "You mean you want to leave too?"

"Well I do want to find my world again." She told him, before turning back around to look at the view. "And, I haven't said anything but… I'm starting to have a hard time remembering things about my world and I don't know why. Like on Saturday Hana asked me something about my sister and my mind suddenly went blank. I suddenly couldn't remember one thing about her. I mean… a few hours later I was able to recall a few things but…" She glanced beside her as she noticed him walk over. "What if it continues to get worse? What if I end up like Kairi and eventually can't remember anything about my home or my family?" She inhaled sharply, suddenly feeling her emotions rising. "I've been here for less than a week and there are already details about my past that are slipping my mind; even obvious things like what my mom looks like or the names of my friends." She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry… this isn't really the time to be talking about this… it just came out."

Riku felt his heart sink when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted as Sora and Kairi finally came outside.

"Sorry to make you guys wait!" Kairi apologized, walking towards them while dragging Sora behind her. "Sora fell asleep in class again…"

Riku turned towards his friends and put up a front. "Of course he did." He commented while rolling his eyes. "Did you get another detention, Sora?"

Sora opened his mouth to response but Kairi interjected, "Not only that, but he got a big talking to from the teacher and fell asleep during that too!"

"It's not my fault her lectures put me to sleep!" Sora defended letting out another yawn.

"I can't imagine Saki's going to be too happy with you." Hinata told him, walking up to the group.

Riku looked over at her and was surprised that she didn't have the slightest hint of her previous emotion on her face.

Sora sighed, "Yeah I know… probably won't be allowed to watch movies on school nights anymore."

"She shouldn't have been letting you do that in the first place." Riku pointed out, looking away from Hinata. "Especially the movies that you choose… that zombie movie last night was awful."

"You didn't like it?" He asked, almost flabbergasted. "But there was so much action in it!"

"Come on Sleepyhead," Kairi tugged on his arm. "You can argue over your cheesy action movies later. We have to get you home."

"Cheesy?!" Sora objected as he followed after Kairi.

Once again Riku and Hinata were left alone. She forced a smile at him as she began to walk after their friends, but was stopped when Riku grabbed her arm.

"We'll find a way off the island, I promise." He told her.

She placed her hand over his and lightly squeezed it before gently pushing him off. "Thanks… Don't say anything to Sora or Kairi about it… especially Kairi; I don't know how she would react to learn that I'm forgetting everything too."

"I won't." He assured her, letting her walk again.

Hinata took a couple steps forward before stopping and taking a deep breath. After a couple seconds she looked back at Riku with a mischievous look suddenly in her eyes. "Want to race to Sora's house?"

Riku smirked, "Do you even have to ask?" He sprinted off in an instant, leaving Hinata behind.

She ran after him, nowhere near as fast as him; but as he passed the others, Sora immediately joined in, giving Riku some real competition. Hinata smiled to herself when she saw the boys racing and then slowed to a stop once they were all out of sight. She walked over to a bench that was a little ways down the hill in a small secluded garden. As she sat down her previous thoughts about her home and memories immediately barraged back into her mind; making tears once again well up in her eyes. Burying her face in her hands she finally released all of her emotions at once.


	6. Day Together

Chapter 6

Gray gloomy clouds shrouded the once blue sky of the island as Hinata walked down the tall hill with her friends. She stared up at the sullen sky, lost in her thoughts while her friends talked. It was officially the end of her first week attending their school and they were discussing plans for the weekend.

"I say we have a movie night at my house!" Sora suggested, walking with his hands laced behind his head.

Riku sighed, "Did Saki seriously let you rent another movie; even after she found out about the detention?"

"Oh, uh… she might not know about that." Sora admitted sheepishly chuckling.

"What?!" Kairi exclaimed, abruptly stopping her walk. "What do you mean she doesn't know?"

Sora winced when he heard Kairi scold him. "I just… haven't found the right time."

"Haven't found the right time?" Kairi repeated, "Sora, you know you have to have her sign the detention slip. If you don't you'll get in more trouble than you're already in!" She let out a breath and placed her hand on her forehead. "We have to go tell her."

"Right now?" Sora asked.

"Yes right now!" Kairi nodded, grabbing his arm. She looked over at Riku and Hinata, "I'm going to take him home to tell Saki. We won't be able to watch the sunset tonight."

"We won't?" Sora asked almost distraught; but quickly shut his mouth when Kairi gave him a look.

"Will you guys be alright by yourself?" Kairi asked.

Riku smirked, "Yeah we'll be fine. You don't have to be our Mother Hen you know."

Kairi smiled in response. "Well someone has to. Alright, come on Sora."

Riku chuckled to himself as he watched Kairi drag Sora away before looking over at Hinata. He could tell that she hadn't heard a single word of the conversation they all had just had. Her hands were stuffed in her pant pockets while she stared up at the overhead clouds with thoughts obviously heavy on her mind.

"Hey," He softy spoke up, nudging her with his shoulder. "Are you there?"

"Huh?" She asked, rapidly blinking her eyes as she came back to reality. She looked around to find herself alone with Riku. "Where are Sora and Kairi?"

"Kairi kidnapped him." He told her. "It's just us."

She half-smiled from his explanation and slowly nodded. "Well alright. What do you want to do?" She motioned her hand up towards the sky. "I don't know if we should row to the other island since it might rain; but if you think it would be fine we can go."

Riku looked up at the clouds and heard the distant rumbling of thunder approaching. With a small frown he looked back towards her. "You're probably right. Maybe we should just head home and call it a night."

"Oh… sure." She shrugged; her tone seemed to be just as glum as the weather around them.

"I'll walk you back home though," He offered, already beginning to walk.

She nodded and followed him. They walked in silence for a few minutes as a faint drizzle of rain began to fall around them. Riku glanced over at Hinata as she walked beside him. Her eyes were downcast and her features conflicted.

"What is it?" Hinata broke the silence with a quiet voice. She barely lifted her head to glance at him. "You're staring again…"

"I wasn't…" He objected and averted his eyes before inhaling deeply. "I was just thinking you seem down." He looked back towards her.

"Am I that obvious?" She asked moving her hand to grasp the forearm of the other. When Riku nodded she stopped walking and took a deep breath. "It's just…"Her voice trailed off.

"Your memories?" He guessed. "Have they gotten worse?"

Biting her lip she quickly nodded. "I…" She tried to speak, but her voice broke. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "I've been trying to keep a journal. You know, writing down everything I remember now so I won't forget later; but there is already so much I have forgotten." She inhaled sharply and averted her eyes as they became glossy with tears while she confessed with a quivering voice. "I can't remember the color of my sister's eyes or even the sound of her voice…" She let out a small shaking breath and blinked, allowing a tear to fall down her already moistened cheeks. "I… I'm sorry. I should go…" Without looking at him, she turned to leave.

"No, wait!" Riku called after her. Without thinking he reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her. He tightly squeezed her cold small hand in his; staring at her as she had her back to him. The rain steadily began to gain in strength as they stood in silence. Riku tried to find the words to say, something that would make everything better; but nothing seemed right. "It isn't fair… your memories." He eventually spoke up. "We're going to find a way off the island and then… we'll find your family."

"But even if we do… will I even recognize them?" She asked with her eyes still downcast as her hand limply stayed in Riku's grasp.

"They're still in your heart." Riku assured her, not sure where the words were coming from. "No matter what you forget, they are still in there." Without thinking, he ran his thumb along her wrist. "We'll find them, I promise."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked, letting out a quiet sob on the last word. She lifted her free hand to her face as more tears fell on her cheeks.

His heart sank to the floor seeing her break down in front of him. The rain had steadily strengthened, but they barely noticed. They stood only a couple feet from each other completely soaked.

Taking a step towards her, Riku reminded her, "You said yourself that you and your dad believe in fate..."

"I did?" She interrupted, glancing over at him; her eyes still reddened from tears.

Riku slightly frowned but nodded, "Yeah…" He looked down at their clasped hands, feeling his heart jump at the sight. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he continued. "You can't give up on finding your family just because you might not remember everything about them. If you think its fate we met… then maybe its fate we work together to find your family." His pace quickened when he felt Hinata squeeze his hand back.

"You actually believe that?" She asked.

"It's the best explanation I got." He told her, repeating the same words she had said to him only a week before. He looked her over for a moment before assuring her, "This weekend we'll try to figure out a way to get off the island."

"You really want to help me?" She asked with a small sniffle before clarifying. "Find my family, I mean."

"Well yeah." He replied before clarifying. "I mean, it will get me off the island… Besides, I'd really like to see your world for myself."

Using her free hand, Hinata wiped her cheeks to remove her tears despite the rain drops still falling on her skin. Taking a deep breath she regained control of her emotions. "I'd like you to see it too." She told him, giving him a small sad smile. "Thank you…"

She ran her thumb along his wrist like he had done to her earlier sending a spike of chills through his arm up to his warmed cheeks. "Y-Yeah," He stammered before clearing his throat. "We really should get you home. At this rate the rain is going to be pouring soon."

"You're probably right," She replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Are you doing better?" He asked, taking a few steps forward to begin leading the way back to her house.

She reluctantly nodded, "Yeah… I mean, I'm still upset but…" She squeezed his hand. "I know I'll be alright."

His already blushed cheeks warmed to a deeper crimson from her words but he didn't reply as he continued walking. They walked the rest of the way back to her house mostly in silence, only exchanging a few words between each other; but their hands remained clasped. Neither of them said anything about it, almost pretending that it was a completely normal thing for friends to be doing. Sooner than either of them wanted they reached Hinata's neighborhood.

As they walked up to the house, Hinata spoke up, "Thank you, for everything you said. I'm sorry I broke down like that."

He glanced over at her beside him. "Yeah... And don't worry about it, I get it. You're not exactly going through the easiest thing right now."

"Neither are you, but I don't see you crying about it." She pointed out.

"Well I'm not a total sap." He rudely replied without hesitation. He bit his tongue the moment the words left his mouth, "Just forget what I just said… habit."

Hinata burst out laughing, "Geez! That's harsh!"

Riku uncomfortably chuckled, "I say things like that to Sora. I didn't mean to say that to you. You aren't a sap."

"What even is a sap?" She asked him, her cheery mood already returning.

"I…" He paused, "I don't know, actually."

Hinata laughed again causing Riku to join in. "You really are tough on Sora." She pointed out.

Riku shrugged, "It's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"Still, I'm sure he could use a break from time to time." She told him.

"When he gives me a reason to I'll consider it." He replied.

Riku pushed open the black gate leading up to the house, allowing Hinata to enter first.

As she walked through, she offered, "Just so you know, you can come in for a little bit. Hana and Shin are always asking why you and Sora don't come over for dinner."

Riku chuckled, "Nah, that's alright. Sora's probably wondering where I am anyways. Plus I really want to know how Saki reacted when she found out he got another detention from school."

"Wait, he hasn't told her about that yet?" Hinata asked, shaking her head. "How does she deal with a son like him?"

"I have yet to know." He sighed.

They fell to a slight awkward silence, both of them seeming to have something they wanted to ask. Riku looked down at their still clasped hands and took a deep breath.

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?" He asked her, reluctantly looking up at her face. "I was going to go by the wood shop to pick up the materials for your dao blades I'm making… maybe you could come with to make sure I get the right stuff."

Hinata's eyes lit up, "Uh, yeah! I'd love to. Plus I'd like to finally see this infamous wood shop you keep going on about."

Riku laughed under his breath. "Yeah, you'll finally get to see it." He looked down at their hands and asked, "So… I'll pick you up around five tomorrow?"

"Five? Are you serious?" She asked, almost letting go of his hand in disbelief.

"What? I told you I usually wake up that early." He reminded her.

"Yeah, but you also know that I value my sleep!" She countered. "I finally got into a good sleeping schedule here."

"Suit yourself; you don't have to come along then." He sighed, pretending to turn around to leave. "I'll just buy the materials without your help."

"Oh fine, I'll wake up at that ungodly hour!" She resigned with an exasperated sigh. "But you owe me."

"I'm making you custom blades!" He reminded her.

"I mean besides that." She told him, glancing back at her front door she noticed the curtains by the window rustling. "Alright, I really should get going. I feel like Hana's going to be at the window soon if I don't get inside."

Riku chuckled, "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hinata turned to leave, but then realized that their hands were still tightly clasped. "Uh… Riku?" She asked.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I… sort of need my hand back."

His cheeks flushed as he swiftly dropped her hand and stepped back a couple steps. "Right, sorry."

She giggled and pushed a few strands of her soaked hair behind her ear. "Goodnight, Riku."

"Goodnight," He replied, watching her walk back into the house. Once the front door closed behind her, he looked down at the hand that been clasped in hers. It was still warmed and tingled from her touch. His cheeks flushed the longer he looked at it and in a fit of embarrassment, he clenched his hand and put it down at his side. "What am I doing?" He asked himself under his breath.

…

The following morning, Riku swiftly walked through the empty streets of the island. The gloomy clouds from the night before had completely disappeared, allowing the sun to once again shine brightly. Puddles of water were scattered along the ground from the rainstorm the night before; but were slowly being dried up by the sun.

No matter what he did, Riku's mind kept replaying his talk with Hinata the night before and his heart jumped every time he would remember grabbing her hand. Something was definitely wrong with him. Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus on what he was planning on doing that day.

Before he knew it he was in front of Hinata's front door. He quickly knocked on the door, hoping she would actually answer. He waited impatiently for several seconds and was just about to turn to leave before he heard the locks on the door being fumbled with on the other side.

With a swift motion, the door swung open and Riku immediately burst out laughing from the sight. Hinata stood inside, not nearly as amused. Her usually soft red hair was completely frizzed out. There were obvious knots and it seemed completely unkempt. Underneath her hair, were pale yellow pajamas. Riku could make out the small cartoony sheep on her pants through his tears of laughter.

"You look ridiculous!" He told her, almost doubling over.

"It's five in the morning, you jerk!" She reminded him with a sleepy growl. "Of course I look like this!" Swinging the door open all the way to let Riku in, she spun around and grumbled. "I'm going to take a shower."

"You mean you aren't going out like that?" He asked her, still snickering.

"Shut up…" She groaned, disappearing into the bathroom.

Riku wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes as he walked inside. Closing the door behind him, he looked around the living room. It had been quite some time since he had been inside their home. He sat down on the long couch that stood in front of the brick fireplace as he heard the water from the shower beginning to fall. Faster than he expected, Hinata reemerged from the bathroom; her appearance completely contrasting her pre-shower. Her damp hair was braided in front of her shoulder, falling over her gray-blue long sleeve shirt that was low on her shoulders. She pulled on a navy-blue vest with gold lining over her shirt as she walked towards Riku.

"Sorry to make you wait," She told him as she walked out.

"Don't worry about it," He assured her, standing from the couch. "You seem to be in a better mood."

Hinata chuckled, "Yeah, a hot shower can fix nearly any mood."

"Good to know," He replied with a small laugh.

"Alright, let me grab some coffee and then we can head out." She told him, walking into the kitchen.

Calling after her, he asked, "Where are Shin and Hana?"

"Shin has work and Hana went out with your mom actually." Hinata replied giving a big yawn.

"My mom?" He repeated, feeling his stomach slightly twist.

Hinata returned to the living room holding a maroon mug steaming with fresh coffee. "Yeah," She nodded, giving a soft blow over her drink to cool it. "I was surprised when Hana told me she meets with your mom regularly." When Riku was silent, she asked. "Is that one of the reasons you haven't told Kairi about your parents?"

Riku shrugged, "Maybe, I don't know. I just don't like telling people."

She took a small sip of her coffee and nodded, "I can understand. Although I'm surprised Hana is friends with your mom."

"My parents are almost unrecognizable outside the home." He told her, absently staring at the fireplace. "Even if I told the whole island about what they were like behind closed doors I doubt anyone would believe me."

"Well I'm sure your neighbors would at least believe you." She pointed out. "With how loud your dad yells."

"Yeah…" He slowly replied before clearing his throat. "You ready to go?"

She nodded, "Uh, yeah. We can go whenever now."

Riku stood up from his seat and moved to open the front door. Holding onto her still steaming mug, Hinata followed him outside and closed the door behind them.

As they walked, he told her. "Once I get your blades done we can start practicing outside of sparring class. I might be able to make two pairs of them so I can teach you some techniques."

Hinata looked up from her drink surprised, "You know how to fight with them? I thought the one handed sword was your thing."

Riku got a smug look on his face, "Hey, I am the best in class, in fact probably on this whole island! I wouldn't be if I didn't know how to work with different types of weapons."

Shaking her head, she chuckled, "I must say I'm impressed. Not by your pride though, that can use some work."

He scoffed and replied, "Yeah, you say that now. But when I beat your sorry butt with your own weapon of choice you'll be singing a different tune."

Hinata nearly choked on her drink being caught off guard at Riku's challenge, "Ha! You wish!"

Riku defended, "I'm serious! I know my way around any weapon. I just prefer one handed. When I finish making them I'll use those swords and show you up!"

"Look, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but dao swords are my specialty. No one back in my world could even dream of beating me with them!" Hinata argued. "And even though you've been able to beat me with your sword you don't stand a chance against me with my dao swords."

A smirk spread across Riku's face, for some reason he was really enjoying getting Hinata riled up, "Look who's being prideful now." He said as he gestured towards her.

Hinata groaned as she realized what he was doing, "You are such a tease Riku," She gave up and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "It's too early for this."

He laughed in response and shrugged, "I'm just telling you like it is."

"Whatever," She rolled her eyes while chuckling.

They continued to walk down the street towards the marketplace, enjoying each other's company. Faint chilling wind breezed past them, carrying the scent of the salty sea. The flowers along the side of the road were slowly beginning to unravel, almost greeting them as they walked passed. Before they knew it they had arrived to the mostly empty marketplace. Hinata looked around at the stone paved area. Various shops lined the area each of them just beginning to open for the day. Riku stopped in front of a red shop with a glass door and pulled it open. The cheery chime of a bell greeted them as they walked into the stuffy wood shop. Hinata lightly coughed from the strong scent of wood as she entered behind Riku.

"Good mornin' Riku!" A gruff voice spoke up catching their attention. "Oh and who might this be?"

Hinata looked over at the front counter to see a tall man with a scruffy black beard smiling at her. She uneasily smiled back and introduced herself, "I'm Hinata."

"Oh," He recognized the name and greeted, "The name's Dougal. Nice to meet finally meet you Hinata," Reaching out his hand and gently shaking hers, he told her. "I read a lot about you in the paper."

She chuckled uncomfortably and rubbed the back of her neck, "Uh, yeah. Everyone seems to know who I am."

"Don't you worry; all the publicity will blow over in a couple months." He assured her, "Just like it did with the other girl."

"Kairi?" Hinata asked.

"Aye, I think that was her name. I don't get around the island much so I wouldn't know for sure." He shrugged, before looking at Riku. "Back for some more weapons material?" When Riku nodded he motioned his head towards the back of the shop, "I'll go grab what I saved for you."

"Thanks," Riku shortly replied as the man left the front counter.

As the man went towards the backroom, Hinata began walking down the different aisles, examining the different tools and long planks of wood. She occasionally coughed from the dusty air and slowed her pace to a stop when she neared a sphere made entirely of wood. After placing her mug on the shelf, she picked it up; softly tossing it in the air and catching it in her palm.

"I wonder how he made this." She wondered aloud, getting Riku's attention. "It's a perfect sphere."

Riku turned around and spotted the wooden ball in her hand. "He must have some sort of tool to help him." He suggested. "Be careful with it, I don't think it's sanded yet."

His warning came too late as Hinata rolled the sphere in between her hands. A sudden sharp pain stung her palm, making her wince and retract her hand. She put the object back where she got it and looked down at her hand to see multiple splinters in her hand.

"Told you," Riku softly scolded her. "Here, let me help." He reached forward and grabbed her wrist.

She slightly pulled away, "I can handle it." She assured him. "I'm the one that wasn't paying attention." Using her free hand, she began attempting to take out the splinters, but ended up just making the small pieces of wood go deeper into her skin.

"You're doing it wrong," He told her. He pulled her wrist towards him and swatted her other hand away. "You're only making it worse."

She let out a breath as she resigned and allowed him to help her. "Well excuse me," She replied sarcastically.

In silence she watched as she carefully removed the splinters from her palm. He softly ran his thumb over her skin, trying to pinpoint exactly where the pieces of wood were. Despite the platonic reason for his touch, Hinata couldn't shake off the shiver that ran through her every time he would stroke. Her cheeks slightly blushed as her mind went back to the night before when he had grabbed her hand.

In an embarrassed fit, she blurted, "I-I'll just have Shin take a look at it later."

"And spend the whole day with splinters in your hand?" He asked, glancing up at her shortly. "That sounds like a great way to get an infection." He pulled out a tiny shard of wood from her hand, "Besides, this is the last one. I'm done." He released her wrist and allowed her to look it over.

"That was quick," She commented.

"I used to get splinters a lot when I first started making weapons." He told her.

"It doesn't happen anymore?" She asked.

"Occasionally," He shrugged, "But now I just pay more attention to avoid it."

Dougal walked into the aisle from around the corner, interrupting their conversation. "I have the pieces waitin' for you on the front counter."

Riku nodded and walked with Hinata towards the front counter where rectangular pieces of wood were stacked up. As he reached the counter he began picking up the pieces and examining them. "How big are you wanting your swords?" He asked Hinata, "Any of these pieces seem like the right size?"

Hinata came up beside him and also began picking up the long pieces of wood. "Most of these seem like they would work."

"You're making her a weapon?" Dougal asked, coming back behind the counter.

"He's making me a pair of dao blades." Hinata told him with a small smile before getting back to picking the wood.

"Is he now?" He asked as he glanced between Riku and Hinata before getting a knowing smile on his face. He watched them talk with each other as they tried to pick out the right pieces for the job. He noticed the way Riku looked at Hinata when she would talked and the uncommon smile on his face. Getting an idea, he spoke up, "I was thinking Riku, you might be needing some extra munny soon; so how would you like to work part time here at the shop?"

Both Riku and Hinata looked up from the pile of wood in surprise.

"Really?" Riku asked.

He shrugged, "It wouldn't be much. It would only be a couple days a week from five to eight in the morning since that is usually when you come to the shop anyways. But that would give you some extra munny for going out or whatever it is you kids do these days. "

Riku looked over at Hinata still a little shocked by the sudden job offer. She looked at him expectantly with a small smile, waiting to see what his decision was. "Sure, I guess," He eventually agreed, looking back to the owner. "Do I need to fill out some sort of application?"

Dougal waved him off, "Nah we'll worry about that later. I'm sure you two have things to do."

"Well, thanks." Riku told him.

"Don't mention it, just come by tomorrow morning so we can discuss the details of your job, alright?" he assured him, before changing the subject. "Are you able to find the pieces you're looking for?"

"Uh, yeah," Riku nodded, getting back to the reason they were there. He picked up two almost identical pieces, "These will work."

"Good choice," He smiled. "Well then I'll see you tomorrow." He looked towards Hinata, "And it was lovely meeting you. I'm sure I'll see you again."

Hinata smiled, "Thanks. Hopefully I'll be back sometime soon." Before leaving, she went and retrieved her mug from the shelf.

Riku waited by the door for her and gave a small nod to the owner of the shop before exiting the shop. They talked a bit about random things as they left the marketplace and made their way towards the beach. Once they reached the soft waves lapping against the sand, Riku went to his rowing boat and began untethering it as Hinata silently stared out at the horizon. The sun reflected off the distant water sparkling with the waves.

"Are you ready?" Riku called to her, getting her attention.

Hinata looked over to see him at his boat ready to row to the other island. She smiled and walked over to him; barely blushing when he offered his hand to help her on. Once she was safely on and seated, Riku sat across from her and began rowing the boat towards the island.

"How far does the ocean go?" She asked him, staring behind him at the horizon.

"What do you mean?" He asked in return.

"I mean, does it end eventually?" She clarified, looking at him questioningly. "Are there different islands like the one you live on?"

"There are some islands, but most of them are only a ferry ride away." He shrugged, "Well except Unmei Island. It takes a few hours to get there from here."

"So the ocean just goes on forever?"

"Well no, at least I don't think so." He answered honestly, "There is a story that if you sail long enough you'll end up on another world."

His words peeked her interest, "Really? Do you believe it?"

"There apparently was someone that actually did it."

She looked back at the horizon and asked, "How far do you think you would have to sail?"

"Past the horizon," He figured. "It would probably take a few days."

"We would have to pack a lot of food and supplies." She added, before noticing his questioning look from her wording. "Well, you did say you wanted to get off the island, didn't you?"

He smirked, "Yeah, but good luck getting a boat good enough to sail out that far. This row boat couldn't make the trip."

"Why not?" She asked.

"They don't happen often, but there can be thunderstorms far out at sea," He explained. "They make the waves dangerous and these boats can't handle getting water in them."

"Maybe we should make our own raft." She suggested. "Something flat so the storms won't make it sink."

He thought about it for a moment, "I've never even tried making a raft before."

"We could do some research on them and you could get some wood from that wood shop." She offered.

Another smirk appeared on his face, "Alright. We'll look into it." He thoughtfully looked up towards the sky, "I wonder what we'll find out there. Like what world we'll end up on."

"Hopefully one where we can get a ship to fly to different worlds."

"A flying ship?" He asked.

"A spaceship." She looked at him. "You've never seen a space travel movie?"

He frowned and shook his head, before asking. "You remember spaceships and movies you've seen?"

Her smile immediately disappeared and she looked down at her hands. "Uh, yeah. I remember weird unrelated things about my home world, but nothing important."

"That can't be a coincidence." He said under his breath.

"Yeah, I've thought that too." She confessed.

The rest of the ride went silently. They arrived at the island and Riku jumped out at the wooden pier to tether his boat. Hinata shakily climbed out and walked off the pier to the sandy beach. She looked towards the paopu tree and around the area. It was usually bustling with other kids, playing after school before going to do their homework; but with how early Riku had dragged her out of bed there wasn't another person in sight.

Inhaling the salty morning air, she called back to Riku. "You know, this early morning thing isn't too bad. It's really calm actually."

"Told you," He replied, walking past her with his backpack on his shoulders.

She followed him to the paopu tree. They both climbed onto the slanted trunk. Hinata lay back with her hands laced behind her head and Riku sat further down with his backpack full of supplies between them. While he began getting his materials ready, Hinata stared out at the ocean watching the soft waves. She closed her eyes and listened to their unique sound, it was still unfamiliar to her yet she thoroughly enjoyed hearing it. Riku silently worked beside her, keeping his attention on the block of wood in his hand as he slowly chipped away at it with the small knife in his hand. When not a word was said between them for over an hour, Riku glanced over at her to see why she was so quiet and was surprised to see her fast asleep.

She peacefully laid there, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath she took. Riku smiled to himself and shook his head as he went back to working. The sun rose higher in the sky as the hours passed and the cool air of the morning was slowly replaced with warm tropical heat. Riku felt the sun rays on his back, welcoming them as he continued to carve. The general shape of the blades was beginning to take shape; but he had yet to put any specific details on either of them. He glanced over at Hinata, who was still soundly sleeping. He chuckled and reached over his hand. Lightly grabbing her leg he shook it.

"Hey, are you going to sleep all day?" He asked her.

"Huh?" She asked sleepily. Groggily she opened her eyes and slowly pushed herself to sit up. She looked around with slight confusion as her mind woke up. With a big yawn she rubbed her eyes and asked. "What time is it?"

Riku looked up at the sun in the sky, "I'm going to guess it's getting close to noon."

She drowsily nodded in response and looked over at the wooden swords in his lap. A slight smile appeared on her face. "You've already gotten a lot done."

He held out the blades to her, allowing her to take them. "Yeah, I got the general shape; but I wanted to ask if you wanted any special details on them or anything."

Holding them side by side, she examined their shapes. She let out another yawn, before telling him, "Well they are pretty good the way they are right now. I wouldn't mind if the edge was a little bit more curved, that would help with the thrust. And if you want to have them fit together to form one single blade, you should make the hilts more canted, curving in the opposite direction of the blades. Oh and…" Her voice trailed off when she heard Riku chuckle. She looked up at him and asked, "What?"

"Nothing," He smirked and shrugged. "What were you going to say?"

She slightly frowned, "No, what were you laughing about?"

"Nothing!" He repeated, putting his hands up in surrender. Seeing the look she gave him he resigned, "I was just thinking that you're a little bit obsessed."

"With weapons?" She asked, and when he nodded she held up the swords, "Says the guy who carves weapons from memory in his free time."

He laughed, "Alright, fair enough." He reached out his hand, "Can I have them back?"

"Oh sure," She replied, handing both of them back. "How much longer do you think they will take? I'm surprised you've already gotten so much done already."

He shrugged, "I'll probably get them done this weekend."

"Cool," She smiled while leaning back on the trunk of the tree.

"Are you going to fall asleep again?" He asked.

"No," She objected, playfully kicking his leg.

Riku chuckled in response as he went back to carving. Hinata looked up at the blue cloudless sky.

After a few minutes of silence she asked, "Do you think my world is really close to here?" She noticed Riku look over at her before she continued, "I mean; you told me I fell from the sky… maybe I somehow fell from my world and landed here?"

He looked up at the sky with her. "I don't think you can do that. If your world was that close wouldn't we be able to see it in the sky? Like how we can see the moon and sun."

She frowned, "I guess that's true… But why did I fall here? If there are other worlds out there, how did I end up on this one?" She looked at him questioningly.

He looked back down at her, their eyes meeting. They stared at each other for a few seconds as he tried to come up with an answer. "I'm not sure." He eventually replied. "It's something I wonder about a lot too."

Sitting up, she asked, "You do?"

"Well yeah," He shrugged, "Any of us could have easily ended up somewhere else; but we all showed up here. You and Kairi even came from different worlds but still ended up here too." He stared down at the blades in his lap and admitted, "It makes you think that there's a reason for it, but this place is so boring and confining, it doesn't make sense."

Hinata didn't reply, but noticed the conflicted look in Riku's teal eyes. The subject affected him more than she had thought it would. Reluctantly, she reached over her hand and placed it over his. Riku looked up at her with surprise, but neither of them said anything. They stared at each other for a few seconds, both of them seeming like there was something they wanted to say as both their cheeks gradually blushed.

"Hey you two!" Kairi's voice caught their attention as she jogged towards them from the wooden bridge. "I've been looking for you!"

Hinata abruptly pulled back her hand from his and nervously clasped them in her lap. She stared at the sand on the ground while her face burned with embarrassment. Riku let out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck as Kairi came up to them.

"Hey Kairi," Riku shortly greeted her as she came in front of them.

Kairi slowed to a stop in front of the paopu tree and crossed her arms. She didn't need to be a genius to know that both of them were incredibly uncomfortable. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No," Riku replied before Hinata could get the chance. He quickly put all of his supplies back in his backpack and slid off the tree trunk. "What did you need?"

She smiled and explained, "Oh, it' getting close to lunch and Sora and I were starting to get hungry; so I thought I would ask if you guys wanted to do lunch with us."

"Sure, that sounds like fun," Hinata spoke up, making both Riku and Kairi look over at her. She slid off the trunk and walked over to them. The blush on her cheeks was completely gone. Looking over at Riku, she asked, "Is that alright?"

He was taken aback by her sudden change in disposition and mumbled, "Ah, sure, whatever. You don't have to ask." He cleared his throat and motioned his head towards the bridge, "Come on; let's get going." Without letting either of them reply, he turned and quickly headed back towards the boats at the beach.

Once he was out of ear shot, Kairi nudged Hinata, "So what's going on with you two?"

Hinata's eyes widened and she bit her lip. "Ah…N-nothing…" She stammered before abruptly changing the subject, "Can you believe how much it rained last night?" Her cheeks flushed as she quickly walked ahead.

"Huh?" Kairi asked, staring after her for a moment before running after her, "Hey wait up!" She jogged up to Hinata and stopped in front of her, to make her stop walking. Placing her hands on her hips she leaned forward and asked. "If it was nothing then how come I saw you holding hands?" A smirk appeared on her face as Hinata's cheeks burned darker.

"I… it's just…" She attempted to explain. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Kairi repeated.

"It… just sort of happened." She admitted. "We haven't really had a chance to talk about it.

She glanced towards the docked boats where Riku was about to get into his boat. He looked up at the girls, his eyes shortly meeting with Hinata's. Her nervousness was apparent on her face; he knew exactly what they were talking about. He felt his cheeks burn with both embarrassment and frustration.

Without bothering to step in, he turned and got into his boat; rowing away without looking back at either of them. "What's wrong with me?" He whispered to himself.

Hinata watched as Riku hastily rowed away with a slight frown on her face.

Kairi leaned forward so Hinata could see her face, "So… do you like him?"

"I… I'm not sure." She admitted, still watching Riku row away.

"Sheesh, you two are hopeless," Kairi sighed, placing her hand on her forehead. "Alright, just fill me in on everything that happened while I row us back to the main island."

Hinata laughed uncomfortably under her breath as she followed Kairi back to the boat. She silently got onto the boat bobbing on the ocean water and stared absently at the waves while Kairi began to row.

After a couple minutes of awkward silence, Kairi cleared her throat, "Well?"

"Oh… well… last night after you and Sora left… some stuff happened." Hinata tried to explain.

Kairi groaned, "Oh come on Hinata! You have to give me more than that!"

Blushing, she fumbled as she tried to get the words out. She was so graceful on the sparring mat, but in a slightly uncomfortable social situation and she would freeze up. Mentally she berated herself for making a big deal out of something that was probably nothing. Finally, she sighed and answered, "I was telling him about something emotional last night and he grabbed my hand to comfort me then asked me to spend time with him today."

"Riku did that?" Kairi replied surprised. "Wow, alright; so he grabbed your hand last night. What happened today?"

"We were just talking and I grabbed his hand…" She spilled the words out.

"Why?"

"I just felt like it I guess. I didn't really have a reason… it felt natural." Hinata planted her face in her hands in an embarrassed fit, "Ah! What's wrong with me? Why am I so nervous about this?"

Kairi smiled to herself having a pretty good idea what was going on. However, it seemed that both Hinata and Riku were oblivious to it. She sighed and decided it would probably be best to let the two of them to figure it out on their own, "Well, you should talk to him about it. Let him know how you feel."

"That's just the thing though," Hinata countered, looking up from her hands. "I don't know how I feel."

"You'll figure it out," Kairi assured her.


	7. Discussions

Chapter 7

Riku absently prodded at the plate of half-eaten food in front of him, barely listening to his friends talk amongst themselves. They all sat at a booth inside a small café that was bustling with business. It was a quaint place with bouquets of daisies on every table, giving a sweet scent that mixed with the already tantalizing aroma of the meals being served.

Hinata sat across from Riku and would occasionally glance at him with a concerned look in her eyes. He barely said anything only speaking to give his order or to shortly answer questions directly given to him. She leaned back in her chair and let out a breath, not sure what to say to him.

Noticing the tension, Kairi cleared her throat and spoke up. "So Riku," she paused until he reluctantly looked up at her. "I was thinking that it is about time we show Hinata the secret spot on the Island."

"A secret spot?" Hinata repeated with intrigue.

Letting out a sigh, Riku replied, "Its nothing special; just a small cave."

"You're under selling it Riku!" Sora butted in before explaining to Hinata. "Riku and I found it when we were kids. It has this wooden door in it but there isn't any way to open it."

"Really?" She asked. "I wonder why it's there."

"We go in there sometimes and draw on the walls of the cave." Kairi added. "There are drawings there from when I first got here."

"Oh wow, that sounds really cool." Hinata replied. "I'd really like to see them."

"You can go see it after lunch!" Kairi told her excitedly. "You'll take her, right Riku?"

Riku slightly glared at Kairi, knowing her poorly hidden intentions. "I'll pass." He shortly replied.

"Come on, Riku!" Sora urged him. "It will be fun. Maybe Hinata can draw something in the cave too!"

"Why don't you guys take her if you're that excited about it?" He asked while motioning his hand towards her and noticing her slightly hurt eyes that he refused to take her himself.

"Sora and I have a school project we need to work on." Kairi told him with a frown.

"It's alright," Hinata assured them. "I can see it another time." She glanced at Riku before averting her eyes. "You guys are all busy, so I'll just head back to the house after lunch."

Riku let out a long breath and resigned, "Alright fine, I'll take you."

"You don't have…" She started to object.

"No it's fine." He interrupted her. "I've got nothing better to do."

"It's settled then!" Kairi happily exclaimed. "You'll have to tell me what you think of it, Hinata."

Hinata looked away from Riku and smiled. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing it."

They continued to talk as they ate the rest of their food. Soon Kairi got up and payed the tab. Afterwards, they all walked out of the café together. As they came outside they were greeted with bright warm sunrays and the salty scent of the air.

"Well we have some work to get done." Kairi told Hinata and Riku while linking her arm with Sora's. "We'll see you at the paopu tree tonight."

"Sounds good." Hinata smiled.

Giving a small wave, Sora and Kairi turned around and began walking away. Once they were out of hearing range, Hinata turned to see Riku standing a couple feet away with his arms crossed.

She slightly frowned and told him. "Look Riku, we don't have to go to that cave. I'll just head home."

He was silent for a few seconds, staring out at the ocean far out in the distance. "It's fine." He told her, motioning his head towards the ocean, "Come on." He turned and began walking towards the ocean, making Hinata walk after him.

She silently went after him, feeling the tense nature in the air around them. Not a word was said between them as they arrived at the wooden boats. Hinata sat across from him as he rowed the boat. She kept opening her mouth to say something to him but would then close her mouth again and look away. Soon they made it to the island and Hinata climbed out of the boat while Riku tethered it.

As he stepped onto the wooden pier with her, she asked. "Are you alright, Riku?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He told her, making sure to keep his eyes averted from hers. "Come on, the cave is this way."

Hinata watched him walk away with a frown on her face. Running her hand along her braid, she followed after him. A few of the other kids from around the main island were running through the sand and playing along the tall tree houses going from one tree to the next. Hinata glanced up at them, spotting Titus running across a wooden bridge with Wakka. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying the day off of school.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Riku called out to her. "It's right here."

She looked back down to see Riku standing between a tall tree and a small pond. In front of him was a wall of overgrown vines hanging off a rocky wall. Silently, she walked towards him, watching as he moved the long vines out of the way to reveal a small crawling space.

"In there?" She asked as she came to a stop. When he nodded she sighed, "Alright then."

Bending down, she made her way through the small opening, surprised to find that after initially crawling through, the ceiling went up high enough she could stand. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden darkness around her. Putting her hands in front of her, she felt her way forward through the narrow passage. Soon she found herself in a grotto where thick tree roots were protruding from the rocky walls and thin streaks of sunlight broke through cracks in the ceiling. Her eyes welcomed the dim light, allowing her to make out more of her surroundings. Along the walls were dozens of tiny drawings etched into the stones and across from her stood a tall brown door with a rounded top and gold lining decorating the edge. She walked towards it, placing her hand along the surprisingly smooth wood.

She glanced behind her when she heard Riku enter the small cave and smiled at him. "This place is really cool." She told him.

He nodded and looked around at the place he had seen hundreds of times before.

"How did you guys find it?" She asked.

"We always knew it was here," He reluctantly began to explain. "But Sora and I didn't come in it until shortly after Kairi got here. There were these stories that there was a monster in this cave. I'm pretty sure it was some made up myth to keep kids from getting in here; but we always believed it because there was this strange sound that echoed from it."

"Yeah I heard it too." Hinata interrupted him. "I think it's the wind from outside making its way through the cracks in the ceiling."

He nodded, "Yeah it is. But as kids we didn't know that and we believed it was some sort of monster. Until one day I convinced Sora to come with me in here, but all we ended up finding was that door." He motioned his head towards the door Hinata was standing in front of. "Sora thought it was really cool and decided that it should be our secret hangout spot." He shrugged, "I haven't been in here in over a year."

"Why not?" She asked.

"No reason to."

She nodded and went back to examining the cave. Slowly walking along the edge of the grotto, she looked at each drawing, smiling to herself when she saw Sora and Kairi's face etched on the stone. She knelt down in front of it and ran her hand along it. "Did you draw anything in here?"

"No, this is all Sora and Kairi." He told her.

Standing back up straight, she looked towards him, still sensing the tense nature in him. She stared at him for a moment, crossing her arms.

Noticing her look he asked, "What?"

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked him.

He looked away with an eye roll. "Will you stop asking me that?"

"I will the moment you tell me what's wrong." She pried, stepping forward. "You've barely said anything since Kairi invited us to lunch."

He closed his eyes, feeling the urge to yell at her to back off while simultaneously wanting to spill everything to her as he had been doing since they met.

Hinata waited for him to respond; nervously fidgeting her hands in front of her the longer she waited. She knew exactly what was bothering him, since the same thing was bothering her too. Taking a deep breath she blurted, "Are we ever going to talk about what's going on between us?"

Riku's eyes shot open and his face turned beet red from her sudden question. He looked over at her and stuttered, "W-what type of question is that?"

Her own cheeks blushed and she confessed all at once. "Well it's just that last night you grabbed my hand and we kept holding hands the whole way back to where I live, even though I wasn't upset anymore… and ever since I haven't been able to get it out of my head. I mean… I don't like you like that; at least, I don't think I do. Or really, I don't know. I've never been in this sort of situation before." Taking a deep breath to collect her haywire thoughts, she tried again. "What I'm trying to say is I want to know how you're feeling about it. Because, well, it felt natural when you held my hand. I can't really explain it. But at the same time… I don't know if I'm ready to say it's anything romantic or not. I'm just confused honestly."

Swallowing hard, Riku forced himself to speak up. "Me too…" He looked away when Hinata looked at him. "I don't know why I grabbed your hand last night. It just felt like the right thing to do." He scoffed and shook his head. "I don't understand why I get like this around you. It's like I'm not myself at all."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I don't know how to explain it." He looked over at her finally and tried to find the right words. "I don't talk to people about my problems; but with you I've shared more things than I have even with Sora and I've known him my entire life. It's like when I'm with you I feel like I can tell you anything."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"I guess to some people it would be, but with me it's sort of unsettling."

"Oh…"

He noticed the way her eyes glinted with slight disappointment. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's fine." She shook her head. "I guess…" She looked away, "I didn't realize I was bothering you so much."

"You aren't." He quickly assured her, stepping towards her and grabbing her hands.

She looked up at him surprised, his face only inches from hers as he stood right in front of her.

Riku's eyes widened and he immediately released her hands while taking a step back. "See, that right there. Why did I just do that?"

Without thinking, Hinata giggled at his reaction.

His cheeks flushed when he heard her giggle and he looked back at her. "I didn't mean to say you're bothering me. I just don't get it."

Hinata stepped towards him, re-grabbing his hands and noticing the way his cheeks burned darker. "I don't get it either." She confessed, suddenly feeling a bit more confident. "But, since we both sort of feel the same way about it, I think it's okay we don't get it." She looked down at their hands for a moment before explaining. "I don't want to complicate whatever it is we have; so…" She glanced back up, meeting his eyes with hers. "Let's just say we're friends that occasionally hold hands." Shrugging she finished. "And we'll leave it at that."

A breathy chuckle escaped him when he heard her words. "Alright, I can live with that."

"Good," She laughed lightly in return and smiled.

They both looked down at their clasped hands for a moment before reluctantly releasing each other and taking a step back. Riku looked around the cave with one of his hands rubbing the back of his neck until he spotted a certain cave drawing.

Walking towards it, he cleared his throat and pointed towards it. "I, uh, I actually did draw this one."

Hinata quickly turned to see where he was pointing and saw a tall castle surrounded with stars and a crescent moon etched into the stone. With a smile, she walked towards it and knelt down in front of it. "Really?" She asked, "I thought you said you didn't draw anything in here."

He sheepishly chuckled, "Yeah, I lied."

She laughed and shook her head, "Good to know you're scarily good at lying." Using her index finger she traced the outline of the castle, feeling the engraving underneath her finger tip. "You did a really good job. Much better than anything I could do."

He scoffed, "Yeah right."

"I'm serious," She laughed. "I can't even keep my colors inside the lines in that coloring book Kairi made me buy." He laughed in return as she continued looking at the drawing. After a few seconds of silence she asked, "When did you draw this?"

"About five years ago." He told her. "I had this dream about a castle and then once I woke up I came here and drew it."

"Really?" She asked, glancing up at him. "What was the dream?"

He shook his head. "I don't really remember much of it. Just this castle."

She nodded and stood back to her feet. Rubbing the dust off her hands she commented, "Well it's a cool castle."

He chuckled, "Thanks. Does it look anything like the castle you dad worked in?"

She looked back at it before shaking her head, "No, I don't think so anyways. I don't remember too much about the way it looked." She stared at the drawing again for a moment before clearing her throat and looking back to Riku, forcing a smile.

"You ready to get going?" He asked her.

She nodded, "Yeah. I wouldn't mind getting back out to the sunlight."

He smirked and motioned his hand towards the exit, allowing her to go first. She walked past him and gave one last look over the cave before leaving the cave entirely. The bright sunlight momentarily blinded her once she pushed the vines out of the way from the entrance, making her shield her eyes. She stood back up straight once she was outside and slowly lowered her hand-shield from her eyes to see the island around her. Riku came out beside her, also having to look away from the sudden change of light.

"What do you want to do now?" She asked. "Want to head back to the main island?"

He shrugged, "I could work more on your blades. We have to be back here by sunset anyways, so might as well just stay here."

She nodded in agreement and walked along with him towards the paopu tree. As they walked, she spoke up. "Thank you for showing me the secret cave even though you didn't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to show it to you. I just don't like that Kairi was forcing me to."

She chuckled, "Yeah I figured as much."

"You did?" He asked, looking over at her.

"Well yeah, she was sort of obvious with her intentions." She shrugged before asking. "What made you decide to bring me?"

He mulled it over for a moment. "I just decided to suck it up and bring you there anyways. It didn't matter that it was Kairi's plot."

She smiled and admitted. "Well I'm glad you did, I really didn't want to head home yet."

"Even if we didn't go to the cave you wouldn't have to go home."

"There isn't much to do here." She admitted. "Not alone anyways."

"Tell me about it." He agreed, before telling her. "But if you take the ferry you can get to some of the other islands that have different shops and stuff on them."

She glanced over at him as they walked. "Really? What types of shops?"

He shrugged, "All sorts. It's been a while since I've been to them."

"Maybe we can go together sometime." She offered.

He felt his heart slightly flutter from the idea of taking her out somewhere, but he shook it off and jogged up ahead. "Yeah, maybe." He called back to her as he ran across the wooden bridge that led to the paopu tree.

She continued her steady walk, not minding as he ran off ahead of her. He was already sitting on the trunk of the tree, pulling out his supplies once she made it past the bridge. As he began to chip the details onto her wooden blades, Hinata walked towards the edge of the sandy cliff and sat down; allowing her feet to dangle off the edge. She looked down at the shallow ocean water only a few feet down from the short cliff she sat on. Silver scales on small fish shimmered from the sunlight as they erratically swam through the water. Hinata watched the tiny fish with a smile on her face, giggling to herself when she would see them sporadically jump out of the water or bump into each other.

Riku occasionally looked up from his work when he would hear Hinata's cute giggle, making him smile to himself without fail. He continued working on her blades, making sure to get all the tiny details Hinata had let him know she wanted. Soon he got lost in his work, only to be interrupted when he heard Tidus' voice. He glanced up to see Tidus sitting beside Hinata at the edge of the cliff. A frown tugged at the corner of his mouth as he felt his heart pinch in an unfamiliar way; but shaking it off he forced himself to get back to his work.

"Do you want to come hang out with me and Wakka?" Tidus asked Hinata as he sat down beside her. "We're about to play a round of Blitzball."

Hinata looked away from the fish over to Tidus, "Thanks, but I'm actually fine here. I want to be here is case Riku has any questions."

"Oh, alright." He replied with a small sigh. He looked down at the fish with Hinata for a moment before asking, "So, uh, how are you liking it here?"

"It's really nice here." She replied, looking up towards the ocean horizon. "Really tranquil and relaxing."

"Yeah, it's great to take a nap on the beach! You can get a great tan too."

Hinata chuckled. "Well I could definitely use a tan." Holding out her pale arms in front of her.

Tidus laughed nervously and muttered, "I think you look great the way you are…"

"Aw thanks!" She looked over at him with a strained smile and chuckled awkwardly. "Isn't Wakka waiting for you?"

"Oh yeah," He sheepishly chuckled as he scrambled to his feet. "I should probably get going. See you later, Hinata."

"Yeah you too." She smiled back with a wave as he ran off. Once he was across the wooden bridge, she got to her feet and walked over to Riku. Leaning against the trunk she asked. "What was that kid's name again?"

Riku immediately began to laugh, "Tidus."

"Oh that's right." She remembered before laughing at herself. "I'm so bad with names."

"Obviously," He chuckled under his breath. He continued to work in silence for a couple minutes before asking, "So what were you guys talking about?"

She shrugged, "Oh he wanted to know if I would hang out with him and his friend, Wakka, I think his name is; but I told him I wanted to be here if you had any questions."

He nodded, "You could have gone with him if you wanted."

She shook her head, "Nah, I wasn't really up for it."

"What do you mean?"

She was silent for a moment before admitting, "I don't know. He gets really nervous and awkward around me. It kinda makes me uncomfortable."

"That's weird."

"I know, I wonder why."

"Maybe he likes you."

She wrinkled her nose. "Me? He's like half my age!"

He laughed, "He's the same age as Sora and Kairi."

"Wait, seriously?" She turned her head upwards to see him sitting above her. "He's fourteen?"

He gave her a look and told her. "He goes to the same school as us; a high school. How could he do that if he was half our age?"

She frowned as she considered his words and then admitted. "I guess I hadn't thought about it. He just looks so young." She looked back out at the ocean horizon completely baffled.

"Anyways, I think I'm about done with your blades."

"Really?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, what do you think?" He reached down and handed them to her.

She held them in her hands, examining the perfect detail on each one, then holding them up in front of her she clipped them together, creating a single blade. A smirk appeared on her face and she beamed up at him. "They're perfect!"

He chuckled and slid off the front of the tree, landing in the sand beside her. "Awesome. Do you want to try them out?"

"Yeah I'd love to!" She chimed, already moving to the other side of the sandy cliff to get ready for a spar.

He knelt down to his backpack and pulled out another set of wooden dao-blades that were not nearly as detailed and refined as Hinata's. As he stood back up and spun them in his hands he told her. "I found these at Sora's last night. I guess I he kept this pair back when I first made them a year ago."

Hinata looked at them and asked, "Why didn't you just give those ones to me rather than making me new ones?"

He shrugged, "I wanted to make a new set anyways; plus now we can fight each other with them."

"Well okay then," She accepted his answer and smirked, "Are you sure you'll be alright when I beat you? I mean, I don't know if your ego could handle it."

He was taken aback by her sudden goading but then scoffed with a mischievousness glint in his eyes. "I was just about to say the same thing to you. You sure you can handle me beating you with your weapon of choice?"

She tightened her hands around the hilts of her blades, feeling the familiar rush of competitiveness coursing through her. Rolling her eyes, she told him. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Are we going to talk all day or are you actually going to start fighting?"

"Alright fine, didn't realize you were so eager to lose."

He opened his mouth to respond but didn't get the chance as Hinata stepped forward to attack. He lifted his blades, blocking her initial jab before jumping back to create new distance.

Holding her two new blades in front of her, Hinata examined Riku, seeing how he handled the two blades. He held one on either side of him both diagonally pointed down. The two waited for the other to strike again until they suddenly both rushed and clashed their swords together. Back and forth they exchanged hits and blocks, both holding their own against the other. A sudden strike to the shoulder caused Hinata to stumble backwards and lower her defenses for a moment. It seemed that Riku was about to overtake her but Hinata regained herself, blocking him with one sword and striking his knee with the other. He fell back and hopped on one foot, trying to get through the pain of the blow. Hinata rolled the shoulder Riku had hit, which happened to be the arm she blocked with. She noticed the pained look on his face, it seemed that she gave a harder blow to his leg than she realized. Making good use of her feet, she began to strafe around him, making him work to deliver any attacks. The predicament Riku was in reminded him of Hinata on their first spar together. He smiled as he realized her plan and waited for Hinata to strike. She didn't disappoint when she lunged towards him. He jumped backwards to be out of range and got into a defensive position. His injured leg protested by sending pained spasms through his body, but he ignored them. He wasn't about to lose to an injured leg.

"Are you going to start fighting soon?" he provoked, "Or are you giving up already?"

"You kidding me?" Hinata retorted, "I was just thinking the same thing about you!"

They clashed back together, trying to outsmart the other. Riku's leg screamed with pain, causing his focus to slip whenever he had to put pressure on it. Hinata took advantage of his moment of weakness and pushed him back with so much force it caused him to lose his footing and drop his blades. He began tumbling towards the ground, but not before grabbing Hinata's arm, bringing her down as well. She let out a small yelp when she realized all too late that she was going down with him. They toppled to the ground; Riku's back landing hard on the sand and Hinata right on top of him.

Riku winced as the force of the fall hit him but ignored it as Hinata pushed herself up. She had a hand on either side of his chest as she held herself up above him and her face was blushed with embarrassment and frustration.

She glared at him with a frown but it soon transformed into a smile. Laughing as she spoke, she scolded him. "That was a dirty trick."

He was unable to stop himself from laughing in return and shrugged. "It worked didn't it?"

"Well… yeah, but that's not how you're supposed to win the fight." She reminded him, still chuckling.

"Didn't Master Zhao say you needed to work on improvising?"

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever, I won that round. You know that right?"

"I don't know," He told her. "That wasn't really a fair fight. I mean…"

"Oh no you don't," She interrupted him with a laugh but her eyes had a serious glint in them. "You're not getting out of this; especially with all that talking up you did earlier."

"What?" He objected with a laugh. He moved to sit up, making her sit up as well; but his legs were still under her. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't even start with me," She crossed her arms as she reminded him. "This morning you promised you would beat me with my weapon of choice and you even talked yourself up before we started the match."

He stared back at her, taking note of the undeterred look in her golden eyes. Getting a smirk on his face he exhaled deeply. "Alright fine, you won this round." He saw the triumphant smile appear on her face before adding. "But, I don't know it's anything worth bragging about. I mean, I let you win so it isn't that big of a deal."

"Excuse me?" She asked, her smile immediately replaced with a frown. She didn't notice the obvious smile Riku was trying to hide as she began to rant. "You know Riku, after you beat me in sparring class; I accepted that I tried my best even though I lost. I didn't come up with this bogus excuse." She gave him a confused look when he began to laugh in response, only then realizing that he was teasing her. Rolling her eyes, she lightly groaned and asked, "Remind me why I'm hanging out with you again?"

Still recovering from his laughing fit, Riku placed one of his hands on her knee that was knelt beside him and told her. "Oh come on, admit it, you like hanging out with me."

She blushed when he touched her leg, sending chills through her. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

Riku flushed from her reaction, suddenly becoming keenly aware that she was basically sitting on his lap. His mind momentarily went back to when she had been laying on top of him only minutes before and his heart jumped. Clearing his throat, he got her attention. "I-uh, need to get up."

"Oh," Hinata replied, jumping up and scuttling backwards embarrassed. "Sorry."

They both stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to say. A cool wind breezed against them as the evening was beginning to fall. The sky was slowly transitioning from the bright blue of the day to a mixture of warm orange and red hues as the sun was just getting ready to set. The other kids around the small island had already begun heading home for the day.

Their awkward moment was thankfully short lived as they heard Sora and Kairi approaching. They exchanged a look as their friends approached, giving each other a simple smile.

"Hey guys!" Sora greeted as he ran across the wooden bridge towards them.

"Long time no see," Riku replied with a smirk. "Get all your school work done?"

Sora slowed to a stop once he was in front of them and laced his hands behind his spikey hair. "Yeah, we just finished it up!"

"What was it?" Hinata asked, stepping forward.

"Just a report on the island's history." Kairi answered as she approached the group. "We had to put together a poster and are going to present it on Monday."

"That sounds… boring." Hinata confessed, getting a laugh from the others.

"Yeah, it isn't very fun." Kairi giggled, "But it was nice having someone to work on it with." She nudged Sora with her shoulder.

"So did you like the cave?" Sora asked Hinata.

She nodded, "Yeah it was really cool. I liked all the drawing you and Kairi have drawn there."

"Aren't they cute?" Kairi asked. "I like going in there from time to time to see them all again."

Hinata smiled, "Yeah, I bet going there brings back a lot of great memories."

"It does." She replied.

"Are we going to stand around or watch the sunset?" Riku asked, walking over to the paopu tree.

"Oh you're right," Sora agreed as he jogged over and swung himself onto the trunk.

Kairi came and sat beside him and Hinata pulled herself up beside her, her leg touching Riku's elbow. They stared out at the reddening sky as the sun slowly drifted below the horizon. They were silent for several minutes, enjoying the view, until Sora leaned forward so all of them could see him.

"Do you guys want to come over for a movie night?" He asked them.

"Seriously?" Riku asked. "Didn't you get grounded?"

Sora groaned and whined, "Don't remind me!"

Kairi giggled and explained. "Saki did ground Sora for the detention but said that she would let him have a movie night on the weekends still."

"Oh, so no more weeknight movies." Riku surmised with a scoff, "Good, it's about time. It's no wonder you can't stay awake in class, Sora, with how late you stay up."

"I manage." He defended himself.

"So, what movie is it?" Hinata asked.

"You're going to love it!" Sora perked up. "It's this zombie movie…"

"Another one?" Riku interrupted with a groan. "How many of those movies are there?"

"You don't like zombie movies?" Hinata asked.

"You do?" Riku and Sora asked in unison but with contrasting tones in their voice.

She laughed and shrugged, "I mean; I don't have anything against them. The ones back in my world at least were really cool."

"The ones here are great too!" Sora told her, already going into explaining and rambling about the movies he had watched in the past.

As he talked Riku would occasionally butt in with snide remarks, making Kairi and Hinata giggle in response. Before they knew it the sun had completely set and the stars were beginning to appear in the sky. They decided to take Sora up on his offer for a movie night and all rowed back to the main island. As they made their way to Sora's neighborhood, they walked together along a stone paved path; laughing and chatting with each other. Soon they approached his home; a two-story condo looking building with white wood paneling on the exterior. Light was pouring out of the front windows, seemingly welcoming them in.

Sora grinned as he jogged ahead and opened the door leading into the warm home. "Come on in!" He told his friends.

As Hinata followed the others inside she was surprised to see such a cozy area. A fireplace was along the far wall in the living room, lit with a crackling fire. A crescent of chairs and couches was on the opposite end of the room, facing the fire and a large screen television that was attached to the wall above the fireplace. Quaint art work hung along the walls as well, giving the entire home a polished yet welcoming feel. Hinata turned and saw a hallway with stairs near the end of them leading to the second floor where the bedrooms were located. On the other side of the hallway was the kitchen fixed up with stone tile floor and granite counters. Sora's mother stood inside the kitchen, her brown hair done up in a bun on top of her head and a green apron tied around her waist.

She heard the door open and turned to see the group walk in, her green eyes brightening when she saw them. "Well look who my son brought home today." She rubbed her hands together and then placed them on her hips. "Looks like the whole gang is here." She spotted Hinata and walked forward to introduce herself. "I'm going to assume you're Hinata. You can call me Saki. It's nice to finally get to meet you!" She reached over to Sora and ruffled his hair before he laughed and swatted her away. "I kept telling this kid to bring you over."

Hinata chuckled and replied, "It's nice to meet you too. Thank you for having me."

Saki smiled and laughed, "You don't have to be so formal, sweetheart. It's great to have you here!" She looked over to the others and asked, "You guys hungry? I ordered some pizza, it should be here anytime."

"Alright, pizza!" Sora beamed, giving his mom a short hug. "You're the best mom."

"Oh I know," She told him with a laugh, "But thanks for noticing." She hugged him back before turning around to head back to the kitchen, "I have some cleaning to finish, you kids go ahead and make yourselves at home!"

"Thank you Saki," Kairi told her, before smiling over at Hinata. "You ready for the movie?"

Hinata looked away from admiring the house and smiled back. "Yeah!" As they all walked into the living room, Hinata asked, "Where is your dad, Sora? Is he at work?"

He nodded, "He's on a business trip. He's usually gone for a few weeks at a time; but he should be back soon."

"Oh ok," She realized. "Sorry, that must be tough."

He shrugged, "I grew up with him being gone a lot, so I don't really notice it."

They continued to talk a bit as they sat down. Hinata sat down near the arm rest of a long plush couch and scooted over when Riku sat beside her. She glanced over at him with a smile.

"Make sure you pay attention to the movie." He told her. "There's going to be a pop quiz."

She let out a short laugh. "A quiz, huh? I think I'll be fine. Zombie movies are all the same."

He smirked, "Yeah, especially the ones here."

Sora sat down in his favorite reclining chair and Kairi at the other end of the couch, nearest to Sora. He reached for the small rectangular remote and flicked on the television. Within seconds the movie already began playing with spooky instrumental music playing over a beach.

"This was filmed on the island?" Hinata asked Riku with a whisper.

He glanced over at her. "Of course it was. How would we get movies from other worlds?"

She opened her mouth to reply before realizing he was right. She shrugged and confessed. "I didn't really think about it I guess."

"Shush!" Sora scolded them, making Hinata put up her hands in surrender and Riku chuckle in response.

When Hinata put her hand back down one of them landed on top of Riku's. She was about to move it away, but Riku stopped her; interlacing their fingers together. She glanced down at their hands and felt her cheeks warm as she smiled. Their eyes met for a moment before looking back to the movie playing in front of them.

After the beginning credits went across the screen the actors finally appeared and Hinata couldn't help but make a face when they began to speak. The longer the movie went on; Riku began to notice Hinata tightening her hold on his hand.

He leaned over and whispered. "Are you alright?"

She shortly nodded and opened her mouth to reply, but laughter came out. "This is awful."

He laughed in response, trying to keep his voice down. "I told you."

"You guys!" Sora scolded again, making both of them snicker in response.

They continued to watch the movie; making snide comments to each other when they would find plot holes or one of the actors would say something horribly. Eventually Sora stopped telling them to be quiet, only rolling his eyes when they would begin to talk. Soon there was a knock on the door and the pizza had arrived. Riku reluctantly let go of Hinata's hand and got up to get them their dinner. Hinata watched him walk away, feeling her heart swell with something she was unfamiliar with. As she looked after him, Kairi caught her stare and gave her a knowing look. Hinata's cheeks blushed and she quickly looked away from her. Riku came back with plates full of pizza slices for both of them. Hinata gratefully took her plate from him and ate as they continued to watch the movie. When they had finished eating, they slowly went back to holding hands.

Feeling her eyes becoming heavier; Hinata scooched closer to Riku and leaned her head against his shoulder. Riku froze the moment she nuzzled into him, unsure of what to do. His heart rate quickened and his face was deeply flushed. Taking a deep breath, he tried to force himself to focus on the movie rather than her cuddling with him. Not even five minutes later he noticed her breathing slowing as if she were asleep. Shaking his head with a smile, he decided to let her sleep and leaned his cheek against her head.

When the final credits finally began to roll, Hinata was still fast asleep. Riku squeezed her hand that he was holding but got no reaction. He glanced over at Sora and Kairi, thankful to see them talking amongst themselves about the movie rather than focusing their attention on them. Letting out a sigh, he spoke to her in a quieted voice. "Hey, Hinata?"

Ever so slowly she began to stir and groggily asked. "Hmm?"

"It's time for the pop quiz." He told her with a whisper.

She was silent for a moment before remembering and laughing softly. "Very funny." With a yawn, she reluctantly moved off of Riku and looked up at the television, seeing the credits rolling. "Did I really sleep through the movie?"

"Yeah, you fall asleep really easy." He told her.

She scoffed, "Well yeah, no thanks to you waking me up at five this morning." After he chuckled in response she glanced over at him and said quietly. "I hope you didn't mind what I did…"

"Its fine," He assured her, not wanting to admit the butterflies still fluttering inside him from her nuzzling up to him.

"What did you think, Hinata?" Sora called over, obviously not realizing she had slept through most of it.

"Well…" She began trying to find the right words to say without terribly hurting his feelings.

Her moment of embarrassment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Saki walked over to the front door and opened it, surprised to see Hana and Shin standing outside.

She smiled, "It's been a while since I've seen you two. Come on in."

She opened the door wider and allowed them to walk in. Hana had a hard to read expression on her face and was holding a small white box in her hands. Shin entered beside her with his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you Saki." He told Sora's mom as they walked in.

"Mom, Dad?" Kairi asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Sorry to interrupt, Sweetie," Hana spoke up, "But we just got out of a meeting with Mayor Zayn and need to talk with you about something."

"We were going to wait until you got home, but Hana felt that it would be best to talk to you as soon as we could." Shin added.

Kairi looked up at them uneasily and looked around at her friends around her, who also seemed to share the same expression. Taking a deep breath she replied, "Alright, what is it?"

"Do you mind all of us being here for this?" Saki spoke up, before Hana could. When everyone looked over at her she clarified. "I mean, would Kairi prefer to be alone for this?"

"It's alright, Saki." Kairi assured her. "Whatever my parents have to tell me, I would be telling my friends later anyways."

Hinata got up from her seat beside Riku and moved over to sit beside Kairi in support for whatever she was about to hear.

Clearing his throat once he realized he had the floor, Shin began to explain. "We know that you have been interested in finding out about your past ever since Hinata came here; so Hana and I got the idea to speak with Mayor Zayn since he is the one you stayed with when you first arrived, Kairi."

"Did he know anything?" She asked.

"Actually he did." Hana replied. She held out the small white box for Kairi to take. As Kairi grabbed it she told her. "This was found on you when you arrived here."

Kairi felt her pace quicken as she pulled off the lid of the box and gasped when she saw a Wayfinder inside. It had an outline of a brown crown in the middle and stemming from it was five Thalassa shells, with twine connecting each piece. Each of the shells was yellow near the crown but blended into a soft pink at the edges. A long twine went through the top shell, creating a short loop.

"This seems so familiar." She whispered under her breath.

"A Wayfinder charm?" Hinata asked, looking over Kairi's shoulder at it before remembering. "You said that you knew that Wayfinders represented good luck even though no one had ever told you that before. Maybe someone did back from your home world and it stuck with you."

Kairi numbly nodded as she picked it up and examined it. Turning it over she saw words written along one of the shells in tiny writing, "No matter where we go or what happens in life, we'll always be sisters. Love you Little Sis."

As Kairi read the words her hands started to slightly tremble. "I have a sister?" She asked with a shaking voice. Hinata reached over and grabbed her hand, attempting to calm her.

"It's alright, Kairi." She assured her with a quiet voice. "You wanted to learn more about your past, right?" When Kairi nodded, she added. "Maybe we can go talk with the Mayor ourselves."

"That's a grand idea." Shin spoke up. "He actually requested to speak with you tomorrow, Kairi."

She finally tore her eyes away from the charm in her hands and up towards Shin. "He did?" When Shin nodded she looked back down at the Wayfinder. "Why didn't he give this to me sooner?"

"I'm not sure." Shin replied honestly.

Hinata moved her hand to Kairi's back, softly rubbing it to provide some comfort. She looked over to Riku, seeing him uncomfortably sitting at the other end of the couch. He was obviously worried but wasn't sure what to say. Their eyes met and he gave her an encouraging smile. She smiled back before looking at Sora, seeing his big blue eyes filled with sympathy for Kairi.

"We'll find out tomorrow, Kairi." Hinata assured her after a couple minutes of silence went by. "I'll come with you if you want."

She nodded, sniffling back tears that threatened to fall. "I-I'd appreciate that."

"Then let's get you home." Hana spoke up; tears welled up in her own eyes as she saw the obvious conflict in Kairi. "You need to get some rest."

Kairi nodded and placed the Wayfinder back in the box as if it were a precious treasure and carefully put the lid back on top. "Yeah," She replied, "I want to go home."


	8. The Mayor

Chapter 8

Hinata walked out of the steaming bathroom, her wet hair was braided down her back and she wore loose fitting pajamas with a polka dot pattern on the blue pants. She had come back home with Kairi less than an hour before. The whole walk home from Sora's house had been silent and tense. As soon as they had entered the living room, Kairi scurried away to their shared bedroom so she could be alone. Wanting to give her some time, Hinata decided to take a shower.

She crumpled her dirty clothes from the day under her arm before walking down the hall towards her bedroom. Hana and Shin had already gone to bed for the night, giving the entire house an eerie silence. Reaching her door, Hinata slowly turned the knob and walked in.

Kairi sat on the edge of her twin sized bed with her Wayfinder in her lap. Her everyday clothes were wrinkled on the floor and she wore a tight black tank-top with pink cotton pants. She looked up at Hinata when she entered, her expression hard to read. Hinata gave her a small silent smile before heading across the room and dropping her clothes in the laundry hamper by their shared closet. Kairi silently watched her until she sat on her own bed across the room.

Inhaling deeply, Hinata reluctantly spoke up. "How are you holding up?"

Taking a glance at the Wayfinder in her lap, Kairi confessed. "I'm… confused, honestly. I'm not sure how to feel."

Hinata nodded and leaned back on her palms placed behind her on the fluffy comforter. "I understand what you mean. It's tough knowing there are people out there wondering where you are."

She nodded and took a sharp breath, "Yeah…" Her voice broke even though she spoke in a whisper.

Noticing her struggling, Hinata got up from her bed and rushed over to Kairi's. Sitting down beside her she placed one of her hands on her back.

"Sorry," Kairi quickly spoke, wiping away a stray tear. "I'm fine."

"It's alright if you're not." Hinata assured her softly. "Trust me; I know this is a lot to deal with."

Kairi nodded but didn't reply. Instead she tightened her hold on the Wayfinder, grasping it as if it were a precious trinket. They sat in silence for a moment, before she asked. "Do you miss your family?"

Hinata looked up at the ceiling above them and nodded, "Every day. I think about them all the time."

"I don't know how you do it."

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking back at her.

"It's like, every time I even try to think about my past or where I came from I can't function." She admitted. "But with you… You handle it so well."

Hinata scoffed, "I really don't." When Kairi looked up at her, she confessed with embarrassment. "I-uh, I've cried about it… a lot actually. And there are a lot of times I get lost in thought thinking about my home world and don't hear a word anyone else is saying."

"I didn't even realize…" She looked back at the Wayfinder and noted. "It must be hard since you can remember everything too."

"…yeah." Hinata frowned and looked away, uncomfortably rubbing the back of her neck.

They went back to silence again for a few minutes before Kairi spoke up. "Do you think we'll ever find where we came from?"

"I think so." She replied. "Riku and I have actually been working on a way to get off the island."

"Really?" Kairi looked up at her with surprise.

She nodded and let out a small chuckle as she recalled it, "Yeah, he wants to leave as much as I do. He told me this story about a guy that sailed so far out in the ocean that he ended up on another world; so I thought we could build a special raft and we could try it ourselves." She met her eyes with Kairi's large curious ones. "What do you think?"

"You want to leave the island?" Kairi asked with a quiet voice.

Hinata slightly frowned and explained, "It's not that I don't like it here. It's just… this isn't my home. Do you not feel the same way?"

"I guess it's just strange for me since life on the island is all I have ever known. I do want to find where I came from but, I'm worried about leaving everyone I care about behind." She confessed. "I do want to find my real family, though. I just wonder if they still think about me."

"I'm sure they do." Hinata assured her. "I bet they would be happy to know you're safe. I'd love to know that about Aiko and the rest of my family."

Kairi nodded and thought about it for a moment, before asking. "Do you think we could convince Sora to leave with us?"

"It would definitely take some convincing, but I think he'll agree to it if he knows both you and Riku are going along."

"Yeah… I would feel bad asking him to leave, especially since he doesn't have a reason to."

"I think losing you and Riku if he stays behind is incentive enough." Hinata told her. "Plus, I'm sure we'll be able to come back to the island whenever we want."

"You think so?"

"Well yeah," She nodded, "We can just come back the way we came. Just sail back, right?"

"I suppose that's true." Kairi agreed, looking back down at the Wayfinder in her hands. "I think… I would like to come back here after I find my family. This place is my home."

"Yeah, plus think how worried Hana would be if you didn't come back." Hinata nudged her with her shoulder.

Kairi let out a quiet giggle, "That's true. I'll definitely have to come back then." She looked up at Hinata. "Would you come back too?"

Hinata mulled it over for a moment, staring at her bed across the room. "I'm not sure. I don't think so… but maybe for occasional visits."

She frowned at her answer, but nodded all the same. "I guess that makes sense. You've only been here for a week after all." She let out a breath and admitted, "I'd miss you though. And I know Riku would too."

"I'd miss you guys too; but I'm pretty sure Riku wouldn't be coming back here either. At least, not if he had a say in the matter."

"Why not? His friends and family are all here." Kairi responded before adding. "I bet his parents would be worried about him." When Hinata went quiet, she looked over at her and asked. "What is it?"

"It's… nothing." Hinata replied while averting her eyes.

Kairi examined her for a moment before asking. "Do you know why he wants to leave so badly? It's more than just this island being small, isn't it?"

Hinata frowned and nodded, "It is but… I promised Riku I wouldn't say anything."

Letting out a breath, she resigned. "Well alright. I'm always the last one to find things out about him."

"Don't take it personally." Hinata told her, before gently nudging her. "Are you feeling a bit better?"

Kairi looked back down at the Wayfinder, finally putting it back in its box. With a nod she admitted, "Yes. I'm nervous about talking with the mayor tomorrow, but I feel better in general." She looked over to Hinata with a small smile. "Thanks."

Hinata smiled back. "Of course. And don't worry too much about the Mayor tomorrow. I'll be there with you. Whatever he has to say, we can take it."

She giggled, "Well alright."

Giving her another smile, Hinata got up and began walking towards her own bed across the room. As she pulled back the covers, Kairi got her attention.

"Hey, Hinata?" Kairi spoke up. When Hinata turned to look at her, she asked. "Are you serious about wanting to leave the island?"

She nodded, "Yeah. I don't really know how well our raft will hold. But I'd like to try. Why?"

Kairi thought about it for a moment before shaking her head, "It's nothing, I was just wondering. Good night." She smiled at Hinata and got under her covers.

Hinata stared at her with uncertainty for a moment before smiling back and turning to get into her own bed. After she snuggled under the comforter, she reached out towards her bedside lamp and switched it off, allowing the moonlight shining from through the window to be the only light in the room. Hinata fell asleep without trouble while Kairi remained fidgety. She stared out her bedside window up at the stars above, wondering which one of the many stars could be her home. After a few restless hours she finally drifted off to sleep.

A knock on their bedroom door stirred them awake. As they opened their eyes they saw that the moon had been replaced with the bright sun as morning had arrived.

Hinata sat up and stretched her stiff tired muscles while calling out, "Who is it?"

The door to their room slightly opened, allowing Hana to poke her head in. "Just wanted to make sure you girls are awake. You have to be at the Mayor's office in an hour."

Letting out a sigh, Hinata fell back onto the bed and complained. "Why does he have to meet with us so early?"

Kairi laughed under her breath as she stood, "I don't know, I'd rather meet with him in the morning. Otherwise I'd be worrying about it all day."

"Well, I guess there is that." Hinata admitted, glancing over at Kairi across the room.

"Oh you girls," Hana rolled her eyes while sighing. "I have a pot of coffee already brewing in the kitchen. Better get up and start getting ready." She gave a look in Hinata's direction before leaving the room entirely.

Hinata remained in the bed, staring at the ceiling as Kairi sleepily stumbled towards their closet. Opening it up she rummaged through the row of hung clothing, pulling out a white tank-top and a purple mini skirt.

She looked at the outfit in her hands before asking. "Do you think we need to dress up to meet with the mayor?"

"You know, I have no idea." Hinata replied, pushing herself up onto her elbows. "I guess it would make sense to."

Kairi nodded and put back the outfit she had grabbed, picking out a more formal black dress.

Hinata watched her make her choice and commented, "A dress? You're really getting fancy."

She giggled in response. "You don't have to wear one if that's what you're worried about."

"I don't think I even own one." Hinata scoffed as she got out of the bed. With a large yawn she stretched her arms above her head before heading over to the closet.

Kairi left the room to change as Hinata looked through her various outfits; eventually settling with a pair of black pants paired with a deep- violet shirt with sleeves that would be off her shoulders. She immediately changed out of her pajamas and put on her new outfit. Standing in front of the floor length mirror hanging from the bedroom door, she looked herself over.

With a shrug she told herself, "I guess this is good enough." She paused and looked at her hair. "Well, actually…"

Running her fingertips through her hair, she began undoing the braid she had tied her hair in the night before. Once she was finished, her long red hair fell with loose curls with a bit more volume than Hinata was used to. She slightly frowned at her mane of curly hair but shrugged and resigned giving any more effort to it. Opening the bedroom door she exited to the hallway, following the delicious scent of fresh hot coffee to the kitchen. Hana was already sitting at the kitchen table with her own cup of coffee in her hand. She glanced up when she heard Hinata's footsteps and smiled.

"You look lovely, Hinata." She greeted.

Hinata uncomfortably chuckled and lightly ran her hand along her curly hair. "Thanks; thought I would try something a little different." She made a beeline for the coffee machine, pouring herself a steaming cup. Turning around, she leaned her back against the counter and asked. "So, is there anything we should know about the mayor?"

Hana thought about it for a moment before telling her. "Let's see… he's rather young; younger than Shin and I surprisingly."

"Really?"

"Yes, he had just become the mayor only a few months prior to Kairi arriving. Even now I would say he is barely in his 30's."

"How did he become the mayor so young?"

"He was voted in." Hana explained. "And as long as he keeps being reelected he could very well be the island's mayor for another thirty years."

"Wow," Hinata replied with wonderment. "He must be a great guy then."

She nodded, "He's a bit… awkward at times, socially wise. But as far as politics and laws go, he's the best mayor this island has ever had."

"Well it will be interesting to meet him." Hinata responded, taking a drink of her coffee.

They continued chatting as they both drank their coffee until Kairi entered the kitchen wearing the short black dress with a white belt around her thin waist. She smiled uneasily when she noticed the looks both her and Hinata were giving her.

"What?" She asked.

"You look beautiful, Sweetie." Hana spoke up, getting up from her chair. She walked over to Kairi and gave her a short hug. "Are you feeling a little better today?"

She nodded and admitted, "Yes; a bit."

Hinata smiled and placed her coffee cup on the counter. "Well I'm going to finish getting ready." She returned within minutes with part of her curly hair tied back to be out of her face and asked Kairi. "You ready to go?"

Kairi placed her own empty coffee cup in the sink and nodded, "Yeah, let's get going."

"Now you do know how to get to the Mayor's office right?" Hana asked, fixing a bit of Kairi's short hair.

Kairi chuckled as she told her. "We'll be fine, Mom."

"Well alright, just be sure to be careful." Hana smiled uneasily. "I should be going with you."

"I'll be with her." Hinata assured her. "You don't have to worry Hana. She'll be fine."

Hana looked between the two of them and eventually nodded, "Alright. You're right. I'm just over worrying." Letting out a breath she smiled. "I'll see both of you later then."

Hinata waved and turned to leave as Kairi gave her Mom one last hug before following Hinata out the door. A slight cool sea breeze from the ocean rushed into them as they stepped outside. The sky was unusually cloudy and only a few sun rays broke through the veil.

Taking a deep breath of the salty tinged air, Hinata spoke up. "Well this should be interesting."

Kairi let out a short giggle. "Yeah, it should be."

"Do you have your Wayfinder?"

She nodded and reached into a messenger bag over her shoulder; pulling out the white box containing the Wayfinder. "It's right here." When Hinata saw it, she put it back in her bag and asked. "Why do you think the Mayor waited so long to give it to me?"

Hinata was silent in thought as they walked, taking a minute before answering. "I'm not sure. Maybe he was worried about how you would react or he didn't think you were ready."

She let out a breath, "I suppose that's true. I just wish I had gotten it sooner."

"What would you have done?" Hinata asked her, making her look up at her. "I mean, even if he had given that to you from day one, would it have changed anything about you living here?"

Kairi thought about her reply for a moment. "Maybe not. I just don't like knowing that he kept this a secret from me."

"Yeah, I get that." Hinata replied.

The rest of the walk went mostly silent, they only exchanged a few words between each other until they reached the Mayor's garden. A large stone fountain stood in the center of the stone courtyard. They walked through the tall black gate, instantly seeing the rainbow of flowers surrounding the fountain and lining the fence. Beyond the garden they saw the Mayor's office. It stood two stories tall with stone columns in the entranceway providing support to the arching roof. Coming up to the building they walked up three steps towards double wooden doors that were so polished and smooth they could see their reflections. They looked uneasily at each other before Hinata raised her hand and knocked on the door.

Within seconds the doors were pulled open from the inside, revealing a thin blonde receptionist wearing a large welcoming grin on her makeup covered face. "Good morning!" She greeted with a cheery voice glancing down at Kairi. "You must be Kairi. The Mayor has been expecting you." She looked over at Hinata and her grin slightly diminished. "I don't remember him mentioning you though."

Hinata cleared her throat and explained. "I'm Hinata. I arrived at the island the same way as Kairi, so she asked me to come along today."

"Uh- huh…" The receptionist slowly replied, "I'll have to double check with the Mayor to see if you'll be allowed in. Wait right here." She gave Hinata and uneasy look before turning and heading towards the front desk.

As she walked away, Hinata and Kairi took the moment to peek inside. The entry room alone was well lit with a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the floors were polished with expensive tile. A large intricately designed rug took up the center of the room with plush couches and coffee tables creating a circle in the center of it. The receptionist was on the opposite side of a cherry wood desk, staring at the screen of a state of the art computer. After a couple minutes she stood back up straight and walked back to the girls.

"You're in luck; he would like to speak with you as well Miss Hinata." She informed the girls.

Hinata smiled over at Kairi, noticing her letting out a small breath of relief. "Well that's good to hear." Hinata replied. "Are we going to see him now?"

"Yes, he is waiting for both of you." She replied, turning around. "If you'll follow me inside, I'll take you to him."

"Thank you." Kairi told her, as they followed after her.

They were greeted with chilled air the moment they walked in, feeling a breeze from the air conditioning above them and making Kairi run her hands along her arms that were covered in goosebumps. The receptionist led them down the hall past several doors until they reached double doors that were similar to the ones in the entrance.

Clearing her throat, the receptionist lightly knocked on the door as she opened it. "Mr. Mayor?" She asked. "Miss Hinata and Kairi are here to see you now."

"Great, great, send them in." A male voice replied to her.

Opening the door fully, Hinata and Kairi saw a tall thin man standing behind a large desk. He wore a navy-blue suit and hair was black and slicked back. His office was large in size with grand thick windows lining the left wall, showing the colorful garden outdoors. Metal filing cabinets were lined behind the massive polished desk where paperwork was scattered across the surface.

The mayor smiled at the girls when he saw them and nodded to his receptionist, allowing her to leave.

"I'll be out in the office if you need me." The receptionist told them as she left the room; closing the door behind her.

Once she was gone, Hinata spoke up. "Thank you for letting me join Kairi, Mr. Mayor."

The mayor chuckled and waved his hands, "You're more than welcomed, but please call me Zayn."

"Oh, ok… thank you, Zayn." She awkwardly replied, feeling odd using his first name.

"Please, please sit down." Zayn motioned his hands towards two arm chairs that sat in front of his desk. As Hinata and Kairi sat down he sat down himself in his leather chair. Getting straight to the point, he looked to Kairi. "Now I understand that the trinket your parents gave to you last night might have come as a surprise to you."

Kairi pulled out the white box with her Wayfinder and replied. "Yes… I had no idea you had anything of mine."

"Yes, well… looking back I really should have given that back to you sooner." He admitted.

"Why didn't you?" Hinata asked.

He let out a long breath and linked his hands together in front of him. "When Kairi first arrived here on Destiny Islands, she was entrusted to my care. At the time I was barely in my twenties and had just recently been given the title of Mayor of the island. In all honestly I was in over my head. I didn't know the first thing about how to be a proper parent, let alone to a child that had no memories of her past. Despite that however, Kairi was rather accepting of me." He let out a small chuckle and admitted. "That may sound rather odd, since she was only six at the time; but it's true. Even though I wasn't home much whenever I would be she would run up to me and just be so happy to see me." He looked up at Kairi, "Do you remember any of that." When Kairi shook her head he sighed, "I guess that's to be expected, you were so young and had only lived with me for a few months before Hana and Shin approached me to adopt you."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Hinata interjected. "But…"

"The trinket, yes, I'm getting to it." Zayn knew what she was going to say and cut her short. "When Kairi was getting ready to move out with Hana and Shin, she brought me that trinket." He pointed towards the box in her hands and told her. "You told me you wanted me to keep it because it was your lucky charm."

"My lucky charm?" Kairi repeated, glancing down at the box in her hands.

"Yes," He replied with a small smile. "At the time when you were being adopted I was in the middle of a large debate of getting a bill passed." He waved his hands and sighed, "You know, politics." Chuckling, he continued. "But anyways, I suppose it was obvious to you that I was having a hard time with something; so you gave me your lucky charm, telling me it would bring me good luck."

"So Kairi gave you the Wayfinder?" Hinata asked. Looking over at Kairi she noted, "That's probably why he didn't give it back sooner."

"I guess so," Kairi replied ponderously. Looking up at Zayn she asked. "What made you decide to give it back then?"

"When Hana and Shin came here last night, they told me that you have been wondering about your past since Hinata arrived." He ran his hand through his hair and admitted. "I unfortunately don't know much about where you came from, but I did remember the trinket you gave me; so I gave it to them."

"Thank you." Kairi told him, glancing back down at the Wayfinder. "I'm surprised you kept it all these years."

He chuckled, "Yes well, I can't explain it Kairi, but in those short few months you were in my care I couldn't help but feel like you brought a sense of light in my life." He cleared his throat, realizing that sounded much different out loud than it had in his mind. There was a bit of an awkward silence in the room until Zayn spoke up again. "What I mean, is that it didn't feel right to get rid of it. I apologize that it took me so long to give it back to you. I didn't realize how important it really was to you."

Kairi shook her head. "No, don't worry about it really. It makes a lot more sense now why I didn't get this sooner." She tightened her hands around the Wayfinder in her lap. "Thank you for giving it back to me."

"Of course." He replied with a small smile.

Hinata smiled over at Kairi before asking Zayn. "Do you know anything else about Kairi's arrival? Like do you know how she got here?"

He shook his head, "Unfortunately I don't know much."

"Did I fall into the water like Hinata did?" Kairi asked, feeling a knot forming in her stomach from the thought.

"As far as I know you did not." He answered her. "When you were found, you were unconscious on the beach on the small island off the coast."

"I was?" Kairi asked in surprise. "Who found me?"

"A few of the local children." He replied, "I unfortunately never got their names on record. But they came back to the main island after they found you and got the paramedics. Actually, I should have your medical records on file." He turned his office chair around and reached towards a filing cabinet behind him. Opening the lowest drawer he pulled out a manila folder with Kairi's name written with black ink along the top tab. Placing the folder on top of his desk her opened it to reveal a pile of papers. He flipped through the pages before finding the one he was looking for and held it out to Kairi. "Here you are."

Kairi reached forward and grabbed the paper. Taking a breath, she began reading it out loud. "It says here that they were bringing me back to the hospital, but I woke up on the way there. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with me and I was talking fine…" Her voice trailed off for a moment as she read it silently. Eventually she finished. "But I kept asking for my sister." She looked up at Zayn and asked, "Why wouldn't I remember this? Or anything about my past?" She motioned her hand beside her. "Hinata remembers everything just fine."

Zayn looked over at Hinata with surprise, "Oh, you do?"

Hinata glanced between the two of them staring at her expectantly and felt her face warm. Swallowing hard she confessed, "Actually, no…"

"What?" Kairi asked.

"I did remember… at first." She admitted, averting her eyes from them almost ashamed. "But every day my memories of my home have been fading away."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kairi asked.

She frowned as she looked over at Kairi. "Because I didn't want to worry you. I knew you were already having a tough time and I didn't want to make it worse."

"Hinata…" Kairi began to say.

"Well that is quite interesting; there must be some reason behind it." Zayn interrupted their moment, making both the girls look over at him. "Do you believe it's possible you came from the same place?"

Hinata shook her head. "I don't remember much of my world, but I feel like I would have remembered if a little girl randomly disappeared off the face of the world." She looked over at Kairi. "It's just a strange coincidence we both came here."

Zayn thought about it and asked. "I don't suppose you remember what happened to cause you to come to the island?"

"No," Hinata replied. "I didn't remember that the moment I got here. It's like something was blocking it out of my memory." She leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "None of it makes sense, honestly."

"It is a rather strange string of events." Zayn agreed. "Of all places you two ended up here. It's a shame you'll never make it back to your home world."

"Well actually…" Kairi began, getting Zayn's attention. "We wanted to talk to you about that."

"Oh?" He asked with intrigue.

Kairi looked over at Hinata with a small smile, noticing the surprised look in her eyes. "Did you want to explain your idea, Hinata?"

Hinata was speechless for a moment before clearing her throat. "Oh, uh- yeah, sure." She fiddled with her curly hair as she began to explain. "Riku told me recently that someone who lived on the island sailed so far out to sea that they ended up on another world. And I guess…" She glanced at Kairi as she talked, "We were wondering if you knew anything about that."

Zayn darted his eyes between the two of them with a sudden uneasiness, before asking, "Where did Riku hear this from?"

"I don't know, he had just mentioned it to me." Hinata replied, not sure where his sudden change of demeanor had come from. "I love it here but… I would like to get back home."

Looking over at Kairi, Zayn asked. "And do you feel the same?"

Nodding she replied. "The island will always be my home, but I wouldn't mind finding my real family."

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I'm sorry, both of you, I really am; but leaving the island entirely just isn't possible."

"But what about the story?" Hinata asked.

"It's just a story." He replied, waving it off. "I'm not sure where Riku got it from, but it isn't true."

"Are you certain?" Kairi asked.

He nodded, "Yes, and even if it were true, there is no way you two would possibly be allowed to sail that far out at sea on your own." He looked towards Kairi. "I know Hana would never let you go."

Kairi solemnly nodded, "I know but…"

"What do you mean we wouldn't be allowed to go?" Hinata interrupted with her hands clenched tightly in her lap. "I can't at least try to make it back home?"

Zayn whipped his attention to Hinata, taken aback by her sudden change of tone. "It's not as if I am trying to trap you here." He assured her. "It is just that there is no telling what is out that far at sea and there is no possible way it could lead to another world. As far as we know, there is no way for either of you to leave the island."

"But that story Riku told me had to come from somewhere." Hinata objected, leaning forward. "Even myths are rooted in some sort of truth."

"I understand you want to go back to your home world." Zayn told her. "And I would like to believe that the story you were told was true, but it isn't."

Hinata opened her mouth to argue, but Kairi placed her hand on her leg. "It's alright, Hinata. We'll figure something out."

She closed her mouth tight and averted her gaze towards the window; her cheeks flushed with frustration.

"I'm sorry, I really am." Zayn guaranteed her. "But you are going to have to accept that the island is your home now."

Hinata winced at his words, but remained silent.

Kairi glanced uneasily at Hinata before looking to Zayn and smoothing things over. "We understand; it isn't your fault. It was just an idea we had. Thank you for meeting with us today."

Zayn looked away from Hinata and smiled warmly at Kairi. "You're most welcome. You are welcome any time Kairi. If either of you need anything at any time, be sure to let me know."

Kairi smiled in return, "We'll keep that in mind." She placed her Wayfinder back in the small white box, before putting it back in her messenger bag. Then standing up, she asked. "You ready, Hinata?"

"Yeah," She shortly replied, also getting up from her seat. She stopped short and looked up at Zayn. "I'm… sorry for getting upset. Like Kairi said, I know it isn't your fault."

"I understand." He nodded towards her. "I hope both of you have a lovely day."

Giving him a final goodbye they opened the large doors and exited his office. They walked down the hall towards the front room in silence, feeling the brisk air conditioning around them. Giving a small wave at the receptionist as she bid them farewell, they pushed open the front doors and walked back outside; welcoming the warm sun as the clouds from earlier that morning had cleared away.

As they walked past the stone fountain, Kairi finally spoke up. "Are you doing alright?"

Hinata took a deep breath and replied. "Yeah, sorry about that. I got my hopes up I guess."

Kairi nodded, "Me too honestly, I wasn't expecting him to shoot down the idea like he did."

Letting out a short bitter laugh, she replied, "Yeah, me neither." Inhaling deeply she told her. "I suppose we're back to square one then. Riku won't be too happy to hear that."

"Yeah," Kairi quietly replied, thinking over something.

They continued to walk in silence until they were out of the mayor's garden entirely. Then Hinata spoke up, "So what do you want to do now?"

Kairi shrugged, "I'm not sure. We could head back home."

Hinata slightly wrinkled her nose at the thought. "Nah, it's too nice of a day for that and I need a good distraction." She looked around at the town around them and saw the pier over the ocean out in the distance. "Do you want to try that ice cream shop on the pier?"

Kairi instantly smiled. "Sure!" She chimed. "I'll race you there!"

Letting out a genuine laugh, Hinata asked, "What? You do realize Sora and Riku aren't around right?"

"So?" She asked with a giggle. "We can be competitive too!"

Hinata thought about it for a second before suddenly bursting into a run. Calling behind her as Kairi slowly began to react, she yelled. "Last one there pays!"

"Ah! Wait!" Kairi yelled after her; her words barely audible as she giggled while speaking.

They both ran down the hill towards the beach, running out of breath by the time they reached the sand. Kairi jumped up with excitement as Hinata reached her.

"I can't believe I won!" She beamed with a grin.

Hinata chuckled breathlessly, waving her off. "Yeah, yeah; you didn't have that flower bush in your way."

"Well you should have looked where you were going instead of peeking behind you!" Kairi giggled. "I don't think I'll ever forget the way you swung your arms to keep your balance once you ran into it."

Regaining her breath, Hinata rolled her eyes while laughing. "Yeah well, next time I'll be more careful."

Kairi laughed in return as they turned and began walking the rest of the way to the pier. Soon they reached the long wooden walkway and made their way through the crowds of people enjoying their weekend. Colorful kites of all designs soared through the air, dancing in the breeze. Soon they approached a small shop that sold various flavors of ice cream. Hinata ordered a cone for each of them and paid for the order. Holding their treats they made their way to the end of the pier and sat down, letting their feet dangle off the edge over the sparkling ocean beneath them.

Taking a bite of her strawberry ice cream, Kairi looked over at Hinata beside her. Swallowing the sweet goodness, she said, "So you never told me how it went at the secret cave with Riku, yesterday."

Hinata took a small lick of her chocolate ice cream before shrugging. "There isn't much to say really."

"Oh really?" Kairi replied with a look. "So you two holding hands and cuddling during the movie last night didn't have anything to do with it?"

Her cheeks instantly blushed and she chuckled nervously, "Oh… you saw that."

"Yes, despite what you think I am not completely blind."

Hinata laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I guess we weren't doing much to hide it."

"So… what happened?" She tried to pry.

"I'm not really sure, honestly." Hinata admitted, taking another bite of her ice cream. "I mean, we did talk, but we didn't really decide how we feel about each other." She looked out at the ocean horizon and continued. "I've only been here a week and he's become my best friend. I really don't want to mess it up by rushing into a relationship; so we decided to just keep us as friends… who occasionally hold hands and stuff."

Kairi laughed. "Friends who occasionally hold hands?" She shrugged while chuckling to herself, "Well, I guess that's better than nothing."

Hinata laughed under her breath, her cheeks still warmed from embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"It's not like I have much room to talk." Kairi sighed, getting a confused look from Hinata before she clarified. "You know; everything with Sora."

"Oh, so you can tell he likes you."

"Of course I can!" Kairi laughed, her own cheeks blushing. "But… I'm sort of like you. I like where we all are. I don't want anything about Sora or our friendship to change."

Hinata thought about her words for a moment. "I'm surprised you were willing to leave the island when you feel like that."

"I wasn't sure how I felt about it when you first mentioned it last night." Kairi admitted. "But then you said that we could come back whenever we wanted. That's when I felt alright with it. No matter where we go or what happens, we can always come back here." Both her and Hinata were silent for a couple minutes thinking it over. "I suppose it doesn't matter now though; since we won't be able to go."

"Yeah…" Hinata reluctantly replied, tightening her hand around the half eaten cone in her hand.  
"We'll find another way." Under her breath she added, "…I hope."

"Hey!" Sora's voice caught their attention and they both turned around to see Sora running towards them with Riku walking behind.

Kairi instantly smiled and got to her feet. "Well hello!" She greeted.

Sora slowed to a stop in front of her and gawked at the treat in her hand. "You guys got ice cream without us?"

Hinata laughed as she also got up and placed her hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Hey, we were having a girls' day out, we can get whatever we want."

"Well I want some too." He told them, turning around towards Riku as he approached them. "Let's get some ice cream, Riku!"

"I'm up for it if you're buying." Riku shrugged.

"Aw fine, I'll buy it." Sora let out a breath as he turned to walk over to the ice cream shop. "But you're buying next time!"

"Wait! I want to come too!" Kairi called, running after him. She gave a small wave to Riku, before disappearing into the crowd.

"So how did it go?" Riku asked. He glanced at her and looked her over; noticing her curled hair and the way her shirt fell off her shoulders. He quickly averted his eyes as she responded.

"Alright I guess." Hinata shrugged. "Zayn explained a lot of things to Kairi, but…"

"Zayn?" He repeated, looking towards her again.

She chuckled, "Yeah he wanted us to call him by his first name."

"Well alright, that's cool I guess." He shrugged. Looking out at the ocean horizon he changed the subject, "I've been thinking about the raft we are going to make…"

"We can't do it." Hinata blurted, interrupting him.

"What?" He asked while darting his eyes towards her with an expression mixed between confusion and surprise. "Why? Did you change your mind?"

"No it's not that," She sighed, grabbing her forearm with her opposite hand. "It's just… I talked with Kairi about it last night and then this morning she asked Zayn about it. And, well, he says it's impossible. He told us that the story you heard about that guy going to another world wasn't true and…" She looked out at the ocean and quietly finished. "That I would have to accept that the island is my home now."

Riku frowned at her words and looked out at the ocean as well. They were both silent as they thought it over. After a couple minutes Riku spoke up, "That's just stupid."

"What?" She asked, glancing over at him.

"How does he know if it's a real story or not?" He complained. "How could people come here from other worlds but have no way of leaving? That's just a bunch of bull." He took a deep breath and calmed down. "I finally thought I had a way to get out of here."

Hinata sadly smiled at him. "Yeah, me too." She reached over and grabbed his hand, "I'm sorry, Riku."

Riku's cheeks flushed and he darted his eyes around, sensing all the people surrounding them. In a self-conscious fit, he pulled his hand back from Hinata and shoved it into his pocket. "It's alright." He told her, noticing the slightly hurt look in her eyes.

She reluctantly brought her hand back to her side, feeling incredibly embarrassed. Her own cheeks blushed; she turned around and stared silently out at the ocean. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that." She whispered.

"I just don't want other people to see." He quickly explained.

"Yeah I get it." She nodded, still feeling ashamed.

"We're back!" Kairi called out to them as her and Sora emerged from the crowd.

Sora handed Riku a cone of rainbow sherbet with a grin. "Here you go Riku! They had your favorite flavor this time."

Riku smiled as he grabbed the cone from his friend. "Thanks." He glanced over at Hinata as she reluctantly turned around to see their friends; noticing her cheeks were still flushed with embarrassment.

"You alright Hinata?" Sora asked. "Your cheeks are all red."

"Y-yeah," She quickly stammered.

"She's just overheated." Riku quickly cut in. "It's getting pretty hot out here."

"But you just had ice cream." Sora remembered as he took a bite of his vanilla chocolate swirl cone. "Maybe we can go swimming later so you can cool off."

Hinata nodded, "Yeah that sounds fun."

"But first let's stop by the arts and crafts stand." Kairi jumped in. "I noticed they have a sale going on today!"

"Alright! Let's go," Sora chimed. "Maybe I can get some more sketchbooks."

"You already filled out the ones you bought two weeks ago?" Kairi asked him incredulously as they already began walking away. "What are you drawing in them?"

He chuckled and laced his hands behind his head. "Masterpieces."

Kairi giggled in response. "Yeah right, I've seen you're art before you know."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" He objected, making Kairi laugh in return.

Hinata began walking after her friends, before Riku stopped her.

"Hey… I didn't mean to embarrass you." He told her quietly.

"No it's fine, really." She shook her head. "I wasn't thinking. It makes sense you wouldn't want me holding your hand in public. We aren't together or anything; so it would only confuse people."

"Yeah," He awkwardly replied, before trying to smooth things over. "Do you want to spar a bit later?"

Her frown transformed into a smile. "Yeah I'd love to." She looked after Kairi and Sora as they chatted with each other ahead of them. "I'm sorry the raft didn't work out."

Riku let out a breath and shrugged, "I shouldn't have been surprised. We might just be stuck here forever."

"We'll find another way." She assured him with a smile. "I'm not ready to give up on it just yet."

He nodded with a smirk, "Yeah, me neither." He motioned his head away, "Now come one, they'll be wondering where we are."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Hello everyone!! I wanted to take a moment to say, thank you so much for taking the time to read this story! Means the world to me!! As the title of this story indicates, this is a re-write of a previous story I wrote, "True Friends". You can find the original (fully complete) on my fanfiction.net account, CurryFury13 (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5642797/Curryfury13) as well as this re-write, and the sequel to True Friends.
> 
> ANYWAYS, my point to this, was to say that for this re-write I wanted to take my time on the island! We WILL be getting to the game I promise, but I wanted to make sure I took the time to establish the world and Riku and Hinata's dynamic. These next two chapters were not included in the original "True Friends", and were actually requested as one-shots by my readers. Once I began the re-write, I just decided to add them to the story. And I really hope you enjoy them!

Chapter 9

Hinata glanced out the front window in Sora's house, making sure no one was around. The moon was high in the sky, dimly illuminating the outdoors. Seeing no one around she smiled and turned back into the living room to see Riku leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and Sora sprawled on the ground half-asleep.

"Why are you all here again?" Sora asked, his voice split between annoyance and sleepy grogginess. "It's almost midnight!"

Hinata placed her hands on her hips and reminded Sora, "Because it's Kairi's birthday tomorrow and we're putting together a surprise party for her."

"And Kairi isn't usually out this late, so it was the best time to get together without her knowing." Riku added.

Sora pushed himself up onto his elbows and stared at Hinata through his glazed blue eyes. "I don't remember signing up for this."

"That's because all Hinata had to tell you was you could spend the day with Kairi and you jumped at the opportunity." Riku told him before looking to Hinata. "There are a lot of things you need to buy, are you sure you have enough munny?"

Hinata nodded, "Yeah, I've been picking up some extra shifts at the Daisy Café the past few months and saving up. Adding that with the munny you and Sora pitched in we should have plenty."

It had been six months since Hinata had arrived at the islands. All the excitement of her arrival had blown over. Her memories had corroded away, all that was left were the few recollections she had written down in her keepsake journal. She and Riku still worked on various ideas to get off the island, but the more her memories left the less she wanted to leave. With Kairi's birthday approaching, Hinata got the idea to throw her a surprise party and it didn't take long for her to rope Riku and Sora into the planning process as well.

Sora reluctantly pushed himself to sit up from his laying position and sighed, "Well alright, what do you want me to do, exactly?"

"I want you to keep Kairi busy until the party." Hinata explained to him before suggesting. "You could take her to the pier, there's an art walk going on there tomorrow. Or you could take her to the concert in the park…"

"Oh I already have some ideas." Sora interrupted her with a smug smile on his face.

Both Riku and Hinata looked at him. "You do?" Hinata asked. "What are they?"

"I'm not telling," He objected. "But it will be perfect."

Hinata stared at him, not entirely sure she trusted him.

"So what are we doing?" Riku interrupted her thoughts, making her look over at him.

"Oh I thought we could go to that party store at the strip mall and get the supplies." She told him. "Then we can get to the clubhouse and set everything up. Is that alright?"

Riku nodded. "Yeah."

"Well I hope you lovebirds have fun." Sora spoke up; ignoring the looks he got from Riku and Hinata. "Now can you go home so I can get some sleep?"

"You don't even want to discuss what you're planning on doing with Kairi tomorrow?" Hinata asked.

"I have it sorted," He defended. "Or at least I would if I could get a good night sleep!"

"You stay up watching movies all the time!" Hinata reminded him. "How is this any different?"

"Well those are entertaining at least." He grumbled, falling back to the floor to sleep.

Hinata opened her mouth to scold him, but Riku cut in. "Alright Sora, we'll head home." He looked up to Hinata. "I'll be by your house tomorrow morning to pick you up. We'll want to leave pretty early."

Letting out a breath, she shrugged. "Just give me a time and I'll be up." She looked back at Sora slumbering on the floor. "Sora, are you sure…"

"Yes!" He groaned. "Go home!"

"Sora!" Saki scolded from upstairs. "You better be being nice to your friends!"

Sora quickly sat up when he heard his mom call his name and assured her, "Yeah mom, they were just leaving!" He looked right at Hinata at the last word.

"Already?" She called back. "Aren't you supposed to be planning a party?"

Hinata motioned up the stairs towards Saki. "See? Your mom gets it."

"Whatever," Riku cut in on the seemingly pointless argument. "It'll be fine Hinata. Sora doesn't have to worry about the party set up anyways."

"Fine," She resigned, turning to head out the door. "See you tomorrow Sora."

He half waved in response as he stumbled to his feet and already began going up the stairs to his room. Riku shook his head and walked with Hinata to the front door. He hadn't admitted it, but his eyes were heavy with exhaustion as well. Opening the door, he allowed Hinata out first, feeling the cool night wind brush against him from outside. Hinata walked out of the entryway, quickly going towards the front gate.

Riku closed the door behind him and jogged after her. "Hey wait," He told her, making her slow to a stop. "It's just a party you know." He reminded her.

She let out a breath and told him. "I know, I just want it to go perfect. It's my first time ever doing anything like this." Placing her hands on her hips she admitted, "It's pretty stressful."

He nodded and chuckled. "Yeah, there's a reason people don't tend to throw surprise parties."

She half-smiled in response and sighed, "Yeah I guess you're right."

Riku glanced at their surroundings, making sure no one was around before reaching forward and grabbing her hand. "Everything will be fine."

Hinata looked over at him when he grabbed her hand and smiled as her cheeks blushed. "Thanks."

Riku smiled back and told her. "Come on, let's get you home. I'm surprised Hana let you out this late."

"She might not know I'm out." Hinata admitted.

"Oh," He realized with a chuckle as he began leading the way out of Sora's neighborhood.

As they silently walked, Riku glanced over at Hinata beside him. Her gaze was upwards towards the stars above them, which usually meant she was thinking about her home. Riku began to wonder where he wanted to go with Hinata and not just as in actual places; but in their relationship. Their friendship hadn't changed since they had admitted they felt drawn to each other almost six months before. At first he was fine with that, but he was beginning to ponder if he wanted something more. He couldn't shake the urge to be with her every day and missed her when they were apart. Every time they were alone one of them would reach for the other's hand and it just felt natural; but recently Riku couldn't shake the shivers that went through him every time they would accidentally brush against each other, whether it was intentional or not.

"Is something on your mind?" Hinata asked, noticing Riku's stare.

"N-no," He unusually stammered, quickly averting his gaze to look at the road in front of them. "I just got lost in thought."

"About?" She slightly pried.

He momentarily considered telling her his feelings but he shook his head, "It's nothing important.

"Fine then," She sighed, "Keep your secrets." She lightly squeezed his hand. "What time will you be by to pick me up tomorrow?"

"Would six be alright?" He asked.

"Oh you're letting me sleep in this time." She teased with a small laugh. "Is the shop even open that early?"

"It should be." He shrugged. "It will take us a bit to get there."

She nodded, "Alright, six it is then."

"Cool," he quietly replied as he instinctively ran his thumb along her wrist.

"It's crazy to think I've been here for six months already," Hinata changed the subject.

"Yeah," He agreed.

"Like it feels as if I haven't bene here for that long," She continued. "But this life is all I know."

"Well it's gotten to the point where you don't really remember the life you had before." He reminded her. "It's hard to miss a home you can't remember." He felt Hinata squeeze his hand in response as her eyes down casted from his words.

"I guess that's true." She admitted with a quiet voice. "I'm starting to understand why Kairi feels so at home here. Maybe Mayor Zayn was right; we might just be stuck here forever."

Riku frowned, "Yeah…"

"I mean, we haven't had any luck with finding a good way to leave the island." Hinata told him.

"Except that raft idea." Riku reminded her. "I'm still not convinced that isn't an option."

She nodded, "Yeah, but what if we're wrong? We sail out to the middle of the ocean and then what?"

He sighed, "I don't know. It beats sitting around here waiting for a miracle."

Hinata glanced over at him for a moment before telling him. "It will be alright Riku. At least you have your friends here to keep you company and I don't plan on going anywhere."

He looked over at her, their eyes meeting and he slightly smiled as he replied. "I guess I can live with that."

They continued to walk in silence until they finally reached Hinata's home. Stopping at the front gate, they turned to face each other.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then," Hinata told him. "Thanks for walking me home."

"Yeah, it was no problem." He replied with a smirk. Glancing down at their clasped hands, his earlier thoughts reemerged in his mind. Looking back up at Hinata he asked. "I was wondering… what do you think about us?"

Hinata gave him a confused look. "I'm not sure what you mean."

He opened his mouth to attempt to explain but shook his head, "It's nothing. I'll see you tomorrow." Releasing her hand he quickly turned around and walked away without looking back.

Hinata watched him disappear into the night, still confused. She thought about his words and quietly asked herself. "Was… was he trying to tell me something?" She held out her hand he had been holding in front of her and stared at it, still feeling the warmth of his skin even though he had already left. Letting out a breath she shook her head and walked forward to enter her house so she could get a good night sleep.

Early the next morning, Riku walked along the dirt path leading up the tall hill on the island and took a deep breath of the salt-tinged air. He wore his normal sleeveless yellow shirt with black belts going across his chest and navy-blue pants on his legs. He was the only one out on the road as the sun was barely peeking up from the horizon to start the new day. Small orange flowers were scattered along the sides of the path, beginning to unravel their petals and awaken from their slumber. Reaching a familiar neighborhood, Riku looked up at the rows of wooden homes. The glass windows in every home were darkened as the residents inside still slept away. He continued to walk, glancing absently as each house; mentally keeping count of how many he was passing before he reached his destination. He stopped in front of the sixth home; a one story building with light-blue planks of wood along the exterior. A small smile appeared on his face when he noticed a dim light emanating from the front room's window.

"Good, she's up." He mumbled to himself, feeling his heart beginning to beat just a little bit faster.

Pushing past a black metal gate, he walked past the front garden and jogged up the small set of stairs leading to the front door. He lifted his hand and quietly knocked on the brown door. Every second he waited his nerves gradually grew. Soon the doorknob turned and Hinata opened the door. She stood in front of him with a small smile. Her long red hair done up in a tall ponytail, falling to her waist. A turquoise blue tank shirt fell loosely over her chest and the color set off her golden eyes and complexion. The front of the shirt was cropped only a couple inches above her waist line, showing a bit of skin along her stomach, while tapering to her hips in the back. Black pants tightly fit around her legs going down to a pair of white tennis shoes. Riku opened his mouth to compliment the way she looked but instead cleared his throat and went to business.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her.

"Well good morning to you too Sunshine." She rolled her eyes and teased. Walking outside and closing the door behind her, she answered. "Yeah, let's get going."

Riku smirked at Hinata's teasing and put his hands in his pockets. As they walked he asked, "So do you know what you want to buy?"

"I'm not really sure yet, I have never been to that party store in the strip mall, so I don't know what's there." Hinata admitted, "Have you ever been there?"

Riku shook his head, "Never had a reason too. I don't usually put together these types of things."

"We have to take the ferry to get to the strip mall right?" Hinata asked after they walked for a couple minutes in silence. "I think the store we need to get to is on Shima Island."

Riku nodded, "Yeah, I got you early enough that we should be able to get seats and won't have to stand the whole ride."

"I don't know, I kind of like being able to stand at the railing." Hinata shrugged, "The ocean breeze is really nice."

"Well we can stand if you want, but it's like a ten minute ride." He replied.

"I'm fine either way." Hinata smiled, "Thank you for coming with me. I know you weren't too excited to have to help with the planning."

"I don't mind that much." Riku admitted, "Not if it means I get to spend some time alone with you."

Her eyes momentarily widened and she felt her face warm with blush. Pushing a few stray strands of her long red hair behind her ear, she replied. "I'm glad we have some alone time too. It's been a while."

Riku rubbed the back of his neck and smirked, "Although, if you really feel bad about making me go shopping you could just pay me back by sparring with me later."

Laughing in response, Hinata agreed, "You're on! We'll see how fast we can finish the preparations."

They continued walking down the dirt path out of the neighborhood, chatting and laughing with each other until they reached the beach.

"Here we are." Riku spoke up as they approached the white and blue ferry.

Hinata watched the long boat bob up and down on top of the clear ocean water as Riku got the tickets from the wooden booth. It was mesmerizing really; it was mostly off white spare for a bright blue stripe going across it and a blue railing along the edge. Five rows of hard seats were in the center of it on top of a wooden planked floor.

Riku came back to her holding the tickets in his hand smiling, "You ready?"

Hinata smiled and nodded as she followed Riku onto the boat. He sat down in one of the seats in the front row while Hinata headed to the front and placed her hands around the railing. Riku watched as Hinata closed her eyes to feel the sea breeze. She had some odd appreciation for every new thing she saw on the island. It both bothered and intrigued him. He didn't understand how she could keep finding things she enjoyed and loved about the island even after being there for six months. To see someone else enjoying it so much was off putting to him; but he couldn't help but also smile that Hinata turned into something akin to a child when he would show her something new.

His heart began to beat faster when Hinata peeked over her shoulder at him; his thoughts instantly returning to his feelings from the night before. He smiled at Hinata as he stood up from his seat and began walking towards the front of the boat beside her. Placing his hands tightly around the railing once he was next to her, he looked absently at the shimmering ocean around them as small silver fish periodically leaped out of the water. The heat from Hinata's body was resonating into him as her arm brushed against his. Closing his eyes, he tried to clear his head.

Hinata lightly nudged him, "Are you alright?"

Opening his eyes, he turned around and leaned back on the railing. His hands still grasped the blue bars as he softly rocked back and forth on his heels. Looking down at his feet he muttered, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

When Hinata didn't answer right away he shot his eyes up towards her to see her once clear face reddened as she quickly avoided his gaze. "Do you even have to ask?" She asked in quieted voice, before forcing herself to look back at him. "Of course I do."

His eyes slightly widened at her response and he felt his cheeks heat up. Looking away, he thought of what he should say next. They stood in silence for a couple minutes both with flushed cheeks as the tension steadily began to rise. When Riku couldn't take it anymore he cleared his throat, "So… what do we do now?"

Without thinking, Hinata began to laugh. At first Riku gave her a weird look, but soon felt the humor the same way as her and joined in. Hinata chuckled, "We really are clueless about this stuff."

Riku scoffed quietly and looked with embarrassment out at the ocean. "I guess we are."

After a moment of silence, Hinata noted, "So does this mean we are officially dating now?"

Shrugging, Riku said, "Yeah, I would think so, why?"

Grabbing her long hair and fiddling uncomfortably with it, she admitted, "Well, Kairi and Hana have been making bets on how long it would be until we started dating."

Embarrassed, Riku clung onto the railing. "What? Why were they doing that?" He asked incredulously. "And how did they know what was going on between us?" When Hinata didn't answer right away he sighed, "You've been telling them, haven't you?"

"Kairi knew there was something going on between us before we even did." Hinata admitted, looking away to avoid his gaze. "That day she found us holding hands at the paopu tree she told Hana that we liked each other and they've been asking me about you ever since."

"Really? And you just told them?"

"It's not like I'm very good at lying." She pointed out, "Plus it was nice to get it out. You didn't tell Sora?"

Crossing his arms and turning around to lean his back against the railing again, he admitted, "I don't think Sora even knows we like each other; not seriously anyways."

"Oh," She whispered, "Did you not tell anyone?"

He shrugged, "I didn't have a reason to. You knew and that was all that mattered. Sora didn't need to know."

Looking down at her fidgeting hands she asked, "You aren't going to keep stuff from me are you?"

Riku glanced over at her and assured her, "I promise. I won't be like that with us."

"So… what do we do now?" She asked, accepting his answer. "Is there some initiation into a relationship thing we have to do?"

Chuckling in response he shrugged, "I don't think so… I think we just act the same way we have been. Just now everyone else can know that we like each other."

"And we can hold hands at the mall today?" She asked, holding out her hand.

Riku felt his heart jump as he looked down at her outstretched hand; suddenly feeling nervous. Reluctantly reaching forward and grabbing her hand, he stammered, "U-uh yeah. We can do that whenever you want now…"

Hinata smiled and admitted, "I'd like that."

They stood the rest of the ride in silence holding hands and quickly left the ferry when it had landed at the dock. A large stone courtyard made up a majority of the small island. Around the stone stood lines of different shops just opening for the day. Leading the way, Riku walked past a few clothing stores, stopping abruptly in front of the party place Hinata wanted to go to. The windows were decorated with large stickers of balloons and presents and along the top of the glass doors were red letters spelling out 'Party Planet'.

"Party Planet?" Hinata read aloud with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Seems a little small to be an entire planet." When Riku didn't response she glanced over at him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," He told her quickly, shaking his head to clear his mind. "Just… suddenly nervous."

Lightly squeezing his hand, she assured him, "Don't worry, I am too honestly." Rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand, she assured him, "We'll figure out this whole dating thing; but let's try to make sure we don't overthink it. We're the same friends we were this morning, just holding hands." She shrugged with a small smile. When Riku only smiled in response, she motioned her head towards the shop. "Come on, we need to get stuff for the party."

"Right," He agreed, following her inside the shop.

Their nervousness was quickly brushed away as they combed through the aisles of the store searching for things to buy for Kairi's party. They argued on what theme they should go with; Riku wanting something simple and blue while Hinata wanted to go all out with decorations. They ended up meeting in the middle and eventually left with arms full of stuffed bags. Chatting about the different things they were going to put together when they got back to the main island; they took the ferry and made their way to the island clubhouse. It was a large hexagon building made of dark wood that stood in the center of the main neighborhood. Hinata had been saving up her munny from a small part time job at the Daisy Café so she could rent out the building for Kairi's special day. Riku and Sora chipped in for the supplies. As they entered the clubhouse, a large glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling immediately lit up. The room was bare but regal in looks, with hardwood flooring throughout the entire space.

Riku looked around as they walked inside and asked, "How much did this cost you?"

With a shrug, Hinata put down the bags in her arms and rubbed her hands together. "Let's just say I'm not doing this every year."

He chuckled in response and placed his bags on the ground as well. "Better get started with decorating. Knowing Sora by the time it passes lunch he won't know what else to do to keep Kairi busy."

Hinata laughed and then asked, "Speaking of lunch though; do you want to go eat something?"

"Like a date?" He asked almost uncomfortably.

"Well not really." She replied, eyeing him. "We would have gotten lunch even if we weren't dating." She walked towards him. "Are you sure you're ready for us to be together? You've seemed really uncomfortable about it."

"Yeah of course I am." He stood up straight and shrugged nonchalantly. "I was just asking."

"Because if you're not ready, I don't mind waiting." She offered.

He shook his head and assured her, "Seriously, I was just asking."

"Alright, fine." She resigned, still unsure. Grabbing his hand, she began walking towards the exit. "Then let's go on a lunch date."

Before they got to the exit, Riku asked. "Do we have to call it a date?"

"No, you can call it whatever you want." She shrugged with a tinge of annoyance in her voice, "Why does it matter?"

"Because I want our first date to be special." He blurted, blushing when Hinata looked at him surprised.

"You do?" She asked, stopping in her tracks as her frustration instantly vanished. "What did you have in mind?"

He averted his eyes and told her, "I don't really know yet; but I'll think of something. There has to be something fun to do in this place."

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled, taking a breath when Riku gave her a confused look. "I've been misjudging you today. I think us being in a relationship now is going to take some getting used to."

"Let's just get some lunch." He told her, leading the way again out of the clubhouse. "We can talk more when we've had some food."

They went out to lunch and then came back to the clubhouse to put together Kairi's party. Within the following hours they transformed the blank space into a fun celebration. Streamers and blue balloons were tastefully placed along the ceiling and walls. Round tables the clubhouse provided were set up, each with a different shade of blue table cloth as the center of the area was clear for dancing. Punch tables filled with different types of food were around the edge of the room as upbeat music was already playing through speakers hung on the wall. The two of them stood back and admired their work.

Hinata rested her head on Riku's shoulder. "Finally…"

Riku smiled and felt his heart race as Hinata leaned against him. Finding his voice, he told her, "Kairi's going to love it."

"I hope so." She admitted, fighting back a yawn. "I could go for a nap right about now."

With a small chuckle, he reminded her, "But the party is about to start. People should be getting here any minute."

Grumbling under her breath, she resigned, "Alright, I'll stay awake. I'm just going to get myself a cup of coffee."

He felt a small amount of sadness as she pulled away from him to head to the clubhouse kitchen. His shoulder and arm were still warm from her touch. A sigh escaped him as he looked over everything they had just put together. "We make a good team." He muttered to himself with a smile.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door to the clubhouse swung open. He turned around to see Tidus and Wakka walk in. Riku got along well enough with them and smiled as they came in.

"Hey," He greeted them.

"This is Kairi's party?" Tidus asked in near disbelief as he looked over the entire room.

"Ya man! This is amazin'!" Wakka agreed; his bright orange hair bouncing as he spoke.

"Hinata is mostly the one that put it together." Riku informed them.

"Is she here?" Tidus asked, instantly straightening out his yellow vest and fixing his hair. "Where is she?"

Riku gave a small frown at his reaction and for some reason suddenly felt a tinge of protectiveness spread through him. "She'll be out here soon." He told him shortly.

Wakka laughed and ruffled Tidus's blonde locks of hair. "Oh please man, I keep tellin ya that she isn't into younger guys."

Tidus's cheeks flushed, "Hey, you don't know that!" He stood up proudly and told him. "Besides, I'm feeling lucky today!"

His muscles tightening involuntarily, Riku quickly turned around and walked straight towards the kitchen. He entered to find Hinata stirring her new cup of steaming coffee. She looked up at him with a smile as she noticed him enter the room.

"Did some of the guests arrive?" She asked.

"Yeah a couple…" He stopped walking and looked her over. "Hey listen, I think you should go home and change."

She gave him a confused look and glanced down at her outfit. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing? I actually like this outfit; Kairi got it for me."

He rubbed the back of his neck and quickly corrected, "Never mind, it's fine. Just… don't leave my side tonight, alright?"

Hinata's cheeks flushed and she stammered, "Oh… alright. Why?"

"Just don't, okay?" He repeated.

Placing her cup on the counter, she walked towards him and crossed her arms. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Riku averted his eyes and was about to come up with a lie; but then glancing at Hinata he noticed the concerned look in her eyes. With a sigh, he confessed. "I just found out that some of the other guys around the island like you."

"Really?" She asked, her eyes momentarily widening.

"Well it was just Tidus… but I bet he isn't the only one." He continued his confession. "I guess I just never thought about it."

"Tidus?" She repeated. "I thought you knew he liked me."

"I thought he did, but I just found out for sure." He told her.

"Why are you telling me about it?" She asked him.

"Well, because… I don't know." He stumbled over his words. "I was just worried I guess."

"Worried about what?" She asked. "Tidus and I don't really connect and we never talk." She shrugged, "You don't have to worry about him."

"But he isn't the only guy though." He pointed out, not understanding why she didn't get what he was trying to say. "What about all the others guys that end up liking you?"

"What about them?" She asked.

He let out a slightly exasperated sigh and finally blurted, "I don't want any other guy thinking of you like that."

Hinata smiled and pushed some of her hair behind her ear before reaching forward for his hand. Holding it in hers, she told him. "Riku, you really don't have to worry about that. You can't make people change what they feel; but you don't have to worry about me." She waited for Riku to look up at her, before she continued. "You're…." She looked down at their clasped hands and took a deep breath. "You're the only one I want to be with. Those other guys can say or do whatever they want to get my attention; but they aren't going to change my mind. I mean, geez, we've liked each other for over six months and we are just now starting to date. If that doesn't show devotion I don't know what does."

Riku looked down at their held hands and let out a long breath. "You're right… I shouldn't be worried about that kind of thing. I just don't want them bothering you."

"Trust me; I can take care of myself." She assured him with a smirk.

He gave a small laugh, "Yeah I know." He looked up into her eyes and smiled. "Thanks. I don't know why I'm acting like this all of a sudden. I honestly wanted to punch Tidus in the face when I found out how he felt about you."

She snickered, "Yeah, try not to do that; especially before Kairi gets here. I spent a lot of money on this party, I don't want it ruined."

"I promise." He assured her. Giving her hand a small squeeze he asked, "Do you want to go on a date this next weekend?"

Hinata looked up at him surprised and blushed. "Uh… yeah, I'd love to. Where do you want to go?"

"I'll take care of it." He told her with a small smirk.

"Well alright." She replied, smiling back. They stared at each other for a moment, before Hinata cleared her throat, "We should probably get out there. We are the ones hosting this after all."

"You never drank your coffee." He noted, motioning his head towards the cup on the counter behind them.

She glanced back at it and shrugged, "I'm awake now." She turned back to him and smiled, "Do you still want me to stay by you tonight?"

"Oh… um never mind that. Just forget I said anything." He quickly told her. "You can go wherever you want."

Hinata chuckled, "Well alright. I probably won't leave your side much anyways; wouldn't want Tidus sweeping me away if I wandered too far off." She glanced over at Riku and saw the unappreciated look on his face and she broke into a short laugh. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

Shaking his head and attempting to hide the smile on his face, Riku led the way out of the kitchen towards the main foyer. As they entered, Tidus and Wakka looked over; Riku immediately saw the look of disappointment in Tidus' eyes and couldn't help but smirk.

"Don't look so smug," Hinata whispered to him, noticing his smirk. "You're going to upset him."

Riku scoffed, "Like I care about that." He squeezed her hand. "It's actually kind of nice to show everyone we're together now. Now I don't have to watch other guys flirt with you."

Hinata's cheeks blushed from his words and she replied. "I don't know what guys you've been watching. I don't remember any flirting except from you."

"I never flirted." He objected, stopping their walk so she would look back at him.

"Oh really?" She asked. "I guess all the times you would 'accidentally' make me fall on you when we would spar were just coincidences?"

He opened his mouth to defend himself, his face warmed with embarrassment. Wanting to get back at her he asked. "Yeah well what was with you leaning your head on me every time we watched a movie at Sora's?"

"Those movies are beyond boring." She reminded him. "Excuse me for getting sleepy during them."

Riku smiled from her words and began to laugh, making Hinata join in.

"Hinata and Riku?!" A young girl's voice caught their attention. "Since when are you guys an item?"

Hinata slightly winced as she recognized the voice and looked over to see Selphie running towards them. Her brown hair bounced up and down as she approached them, her bright-green eyes showing a mischievous glint; matching the smirk on her lips. Placing her hands on her hips over her yellow dress she asked. "So when did this happen?"

Riku and Hinata exchanged a look, reconsidering going public with their feelings. Accepting the communication role, Hinata spoke up. "Just this morning. It's a new thing."

Selphie immediately grinned and let out a girly squeal. "Oh that's so exciting! How did he ask you out? Was it romantic?"

Riku looked away with a frown, swiftly becoming uncomfortable.

Letting out a short chuckle, Hinata replied. "I'll have to tell you everything later. We need to make sure everything is ready for when Kairi arrives."

"Oh alright," Selphie pouted. "But don't hold out on the details later."

"I promise," Hinata assured her, pulling on Riku's hand as she turned to walk away. Once they were out of hearing distance from Selphie, Hinata whispered to Riku. "We don't have to let everyone know tonight."

He mulled it over for a moment before telling her. "No, I'd rather get it all over with at once."

"Well alright." She accepted his answer, rubbing her thumb along his wrist.

They continued holding hands throughout the night. Riku tagged along as Hinata greeted the guests and allowed her to awkwardly explain to others that they were dating now. It was both a humiliating but also nice experience as they were showered with compliments and excitement about their new relationship. It wasn't long until Sora and Kairi arrived and Kairi nearly passed out from surprise when she saw everything that had been put together for her.

She quickly ran over to Hinata, giving her a big hug. "I was wondering why Sora was taking me out all day today." Kairi told her with a giggle. "I wasn't expecting this though."

Hinata laughed, "Well I'm glad he kept you busy. What did you guys end up doing?"

"We painted pottery!" Sora chimed, walking up beside Kairi.

"Oh, you know that's actually perfect." Hinata smiled. "Good job, Sora."

"See I told you I had it sorted." He replied, lacing his hands behind his head with a proud grin.

Kairi cleared her throat, getting Hinata's attention. Motioning her head towards Hinata's and Riku's clasped hands, she asked. "So, what's going on there?"

Hinata's cheeks blushed and she opened her mouth to replied, but was intercepted by Riku.

"I asked Hinata out this morning," He told them almost nonchalantly. "We're dating now."

"You are?!" Sora exclaimed with surprise. "So you do like her?"

"Where have you been the last six months?" Hinata asked Sora.

"Well every time I asked Riku about it he wouldn't tell me anything." Sora explained, before shrugging with a smirk. "But good to see you guys worked it out. Just make sure to remember Kairi and I when you're off doing coupley things."

"We'd never forget you guys." Hinata assured him.

Kairi jumped up and down. "Oh finally! I was beginning to think you two would never start dating!" She reached forward and pulled both of them into a hug. "Ah I'm so happy for you guys!"

Hinata and Riku chuckled in response, both their faces warmed. Soon Kairi released them and asked. "Now that you guys are finally together; are you guys going to start going on dates?"

"Yeah," Hinata nodded, "We're going on one next Saturday actually."

"Interesting." Kairi smirked, the gears in her mind obviously turning.

"Whatever you're planning Kairi, forget it." Riku blatantly told her.

"Oh don't worry." Kairi rolled her eyes. Reaching forward, she grabbed Hinata's free hand. "I just need to borrow Hinata for a bit."

"What?" Hinata asked, already being pulled away. She glanced back at Riku as they released each other's hand and soon lost him in the crowd of people. "Where are you taking me?" Hinata asked.

Without replying, Kairi weaved them through the partygoers until they reached Selphie sitting at one of the party tables, drinking a cup of punch. "Selphie!" Kairi excitedly called out.

Selphie looked up and her eyes brightened when she saw Kairi approaching. "Happy Birthday, Kairi!" She chimed, quickly standing and giving Kairi a short hug.

Kairi smiled, "Thanks!" She moved aside to bring Hinata forward and asked. "Did you hear about Hinata and…"

"And Riku?" Selphie finished. "Yes! I can't believe it!"

Hinata sighed, realizing she had just been forced into a session of girl talk. Resigning, she sat at the table with Kairi and Selphie and began answering all of their questions. She retold the events leading up to Riku asking her out and explained that they were planning on going on their first date the following weekend.

"Where is he taking you?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know yet," Hinata shrugged. "He said he would take care of it."

Selphie sat back in her seat and sighed wistfully. "I wish a guy would treat me like that."

"It's hard to imagine Riku saying those things." Kairi giggled. "It sounds like he acts a lot differently when it's just the two of you."

Hinata's cheeks blushed as she confessed, "Yeah, he really is. It just feels so natural being around him. Like I feel like I can tell him anything." A small smile appeared on her face as she thought about it.

"That's love alright." Selphie sighed again.

"L-love?" Hinata stammered, looking up at Selphie. "I wouldn't say that. I-I barely know him. It's a little early for that, don't you think?"

Kairi and Selphie giggled at her reaction.

"What are you going to wear on the date?" Selphie asked.

Hinata shrugged, "I haven't really thought about it. Does it matter?"

"Does it matter!?" Selphie repeated incredulously. "It's your first date! You have to look perfect!"

"We can take you shopping!" Kairi suggested. "Selphie's great at picking outfits."

Hinata slightly wrinkled her nose at the thought. "That's really alright." She assured them. "I'm sure I can find something to wear that I already own."

"Oh please, Hinata." Selphie waved her off. "Trust me, we'll find you something perfect."

Seeing both Kairi and Selphie smiling expectantly at her, Hinata resigned. "Alright, you guys win. We can go shopping."

"Great!" Kairi chimed. "We can go this week!" She turned to Selphie and began chatting with her about the different shops they could go to.

Hinata half listened to their conversation while leaning back in her chair. She looked around the party, seeing people together on the dance floor and others clumped together in groups around the punch tables. A small smile appeared on her face as she realized the entire party was a success. Across the clubhouse she spotted Riku leaning against the wall, silently watching the festivities. Their eyes met and Hinata smiled. She glanced back at Selphie and Kairi before excusing herself from the table. Weaving through the crowd, Hinata made her way over to Riku. Finally getting to him she let out a breath of relief and leaned against the wall beside him, their arms brushing against each other.

They silently watched the festivities for a few minutes before Hinata asked him, "Are we crazy for doing this?"

He glanced at her beside him. "Doing what?"

"This," She motioned her hands between them as she clarified. "Us, dating, moving forward in our relationship. Are we ready for this?"

"Well, what do you think?"

She sighed and thought about it for a moment "I feel like I'm ready to be with you." She noticed Riku look at her as she continued. "When you asked me this morning if I wanted to be your girlfriend I honestly felt relieved. It feels like a natural step and…" She rubbed the back of her neck and confessed. "I'm kind of excited to see where this leads." Meeting her eyes with his she noticed a smile on his face before she continued. "What I'm not ready for is everyone else. Like I just want everyone to not react to us being together. I know it sounds strange, but I don't care what other people think about us being a thing. I just wish…"

"That they'd mind their own business." Riku finished.

"Yeah," She agreed before chuckling. "Even though that sounds really rude."

Riku shrugged, "Well it really isn't their business. Not much happens here, so when something remotely exciting happens people sort of obsess over it." He looked at Hinata beside him, her height almost level with him, and grabbed her hand with his. "But everyone will move on eventually and we can focus on us."

Hinata smiled at him and told him. "You know, you seem a lot calmer about this than you were this morning."

"Yeah," he chuckled before admitting. "I can't explain it; after I got past my nerves I realized just how much I wanted this." He looked out at the party in front of them and confessed. "I really like the idea of us being together and… it makes being stuck here not seem so bad."

Her cheeks warmed from his words and she smiled. Without replying, she leaned her head against his shoulder, not caring about the stares they got from people around them. They stood there together for a few minutes, watching as people began to slow dance in the center of the room. Both of them smiled when they spotted Sora and Kairi dancing as well.

"I like the idea of us being together too." Hinata whispered just loud enough so he could hear her. "I don't know where it will take us, but I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too," He admitted. "I think it's going to be great."


	10. First Date

Chapter 10

Riku nervously stood outside of Hinata's home about to knock on her front door to pick her up for their first date. He made sure to give her time to sleep in and get ready, but he had told her to be ready to spend the entire day together. Everything was planned, meticulously so in such a way that Riku had never done before. He wanted the day to go perfectly. Running his hand through his hair, he gulped and knocked on the front door. His palms began to sweat from nerves every moment he had to wait for the door to open.

Taking a deep breath, he whispered to himself. "Get yourself together. It's just a date."

He couldn't even begin to explain why he was acting so uneasy. He and Hinata were best friends, there was no reason he should be unsure of himself. Confidence began to slowly itch itself back into him as he reassured himself but it immediately vanished when the door slowly opened. His eyes widened when he saw Hinata standing in front of him. Her cheeks were flushed as she reluctantly opened the door and she kept her eyes averted while he looked her over. The usual long red locks of her hair were pinned up into an ornate bun behind her head; clipped up with a blue pearled hair piece. The same color of pearls created a simple necklace with a yellow star charm, resting right above a black shirt that fell off the shoulders but tightened around her forearms. Over the shirt was an incredibly frilly yellow dress-shirt that flowed down to her hips with a light blue ribbon tied around her waist. Under the ensemble were tight white capris and matching shoes.

"Um, hey." He eventually spoke up.

Hinata looked over at him quickly then darted her eyes away, her face flushing darker than it already was. "Hi..." She said after a moment of awkward silence.

"You look, different." He tried to break the tension.

With a groan, she planted her face in her hands, "Oh just say it; I look ridiculous!"

Riku gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, "No, I was just wondering how Kairi convinced you to wear that."

She put her hands down and looked defeated, "Is it that obvious?"

"Well yeah, you don't wear stuff like this." He pointed out.

Sighing, she admitted, "It was more Selphie than Kairi. Remember when everyone found out we were dating at Kairi's birthday party last week?" Waiting for a nod from Riku she continued, "Well, Selphie got all romantic about it and started going on about how I needed to dress up for you and then Kairi joined in. So they took me shopping and got me this." Looking down and distastefully holding out the edge of the bright yellow top she told him, "Selphie said it would be cute if we matched colors."

Riku looked down at his own outfit then back up at Hinata's, "They got the blue wrong."

Hinata scoffed and then laughed, "I told them that and they said it was close enough."

With a small smile he asked, "So why did you let them dress you up? You don't like this type of stuff."

Looking away she confessed quietly, "Well... I did sort of want this day to be special." Feeling more self-conscious by the second she turned around to walk away, "I'm going to go change."

Before she got more than two steps away, Riku reached out and grabbed her hand, "No wait! Don't, you look fine." He felt his face flush when Hinata stopped and looked back at him with a small smile. Pulling her back towards him he admitted, "I mean you look more than fine... but..." He took a deep breath and tried again, "Look, how about we just forget about this and start our date?"

Hinata smiled as she felt her insecurity melt away and agreed, "I'd like that."

"Good," He replied, waiting for Hinata to close the door before leading them down the front steps.

They walked in silence for the first few minutes as they left the neighborhood. The sky was dreary and shrouded the sun, giving the air a slight chill and breeze. The air had a feeling of dampness to it from the waves in the ocean turbulently crashing against the rocks of the island.

"It looks like there might be a storm today." Hinata noted, breaking the silence.

"I hope not," he replied. "Most of the things we're doing today are outdoors."

"So what are we doing today?" She asked.

Riku smirked, "You'll see."

"Oh fine," She nudged him with her shoulder, "Keep your secrets."

He chuckled softly in response as the butterflies in his stomach fluttered when Hinata brushed up against him. They continued to chat, Hinata occasionally trying to get him to spill details about the day planned. Riku continually glanced up at the sky as it gradually darkened with more clouds. He tried his best to ignore them and continue on with his plans; but couldn't shake the steadily sinking feeling inside that it was going to storm. Soon they reached the same ferry they rode the weekend before.

"We're going to Shima Island?" Hinata asked as they approached the ticket booth.

He simply nodded in response and bought the tickets before leading onto the boat. They stood together at the railing, feeling the rough waves hit the side of the vessel. As the ferry began sailing towards Shima Island, Hinata linked her arm with Riku's and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Hinata could hear his heart racing as she leaned against him and quietly asked, "Is this alright?"

Clearing his throat, he nodded, "Yeah, you can do whatever you want." His cheeks blushed when Hinata tightened her hands around his arm. He didn't know how she could have such an effect on him from such a simple touch.

They stood in silence for a couple minutes before Riku gained confidence and moved his arm that Hinata was holding, removing it from her grasp. She looked up at him with momentary confusion before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Hinata happily obliged and moved one of her arms behind his back.

"So you actually like this outfit on me?" She asked him once they were comfortable with their new position.

"Yeah, it's different but…" He slowly spoke, "You look nice in it."

Hinata looked up at him surprised and smiled when she noticed his flushed cheeks and averted eyes.

"You look nice in everything." He told her, closing his eyes with an inward groan after the words escaped. He was being a lot more open than he expected he would.

"Oh," It was her turn to blush. "Thank you." She looked back out at the ocean in front of them.

Riku glanced over at her beside him and was about to respond, but was stopped short when a water droplet fell on his cheek. With his free hand he wiped away the wetness and looked up at the sky as rain began to drizzle down. "Not today…" He grumbled under his breath. Removing his arm from Hinata, he grabbed the inside of her arm and tugged her away from the railing, "Come on, let's get under the cover, it's starting to rain."

She followed him to the ferry seating under the tarped covering that was over the rows of seats. People sat in the chairs, so they had to resign to standing at the edge of the covering. They watched as the drizzle quickly transformed into downpour; everyone squeezing together to attempt to stay dry.

"Hey…" Riku quietly spoke up as the boat neared port at Shima Island. "Maybe we should just call it a day and head back. This rain doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon and everything I had planned was supposed to be outside."

Hinata quickly looked up at him with a small frown. She glanced around at the pouring rain while she thought it over and the ferry came to a stop at the wooden dock. Everyone around them quickly sped off the boat towards the strip mall to get to cover from the storm. As she watched them leave, the hint of smirk appeared on her face. Reaching her hand up to the bun behind her head, she began pulling out the pins holding it in place. Riku watched her in silent confusion, as her once styled hair began falling behind her back.

"What are you doing?" He finally asked her.

Pulling out the final pin and undoing the pearl clip, she freed the last bit of her hair letting it flow behind her. "You said I looked nice no matter what, right?" She asked him, her smirk more apparent.

"Y-yeah…" His cheeks warmed and he averted his eyes as he asked, "But what does that got to do with this?"

"Well then come on!" She laughed as she tightly grabbed his hand and immediately ran out into the downpour, dragging him behind her.

Riku let out a surprised yelp as he was pulled out from under the protection but made sure to keep up with Hinata. The raindrops quickly doused them as they sprinted off the ferry towards the strip mall right outside the dock. Hinata ran forward, unsure where they should go but she didn't stop her movements to allow herself the chance to figure it out. She spotted a building she had never entered and appeared mostly devoid of other people. Without thinking she went to it and opened the glass door; quickly pulling Riku inside.

"What was that about?" Riku exclaimed; pulling back his hand once they were out of the rain.

"I didn't want to just go home." She told him, breathless.

Riku was about to respond with a scolding but was too out of breath to say much.

Dripping wet, they both took a moment to regain their stamina before looking where they ended up. Bright colorful lights lined the vast room. Along one wall were various types of stuffed animals and toys hung up. Sunny-yellow signs were underneath them that read different numbers. The other end of the room was a small pizza restaurant fenced off by a short half-wall that looked to have tables facing a half circle stage with large red letters spelling out, 'Freddy Bear'. In between the pizza place and toys stood a large array of arcade games. Different jovial tunes of all the games ringed in the air mixing with the already loud upbeat music coming from the room's speakers.

"The arcade?" Riku eventually spoke up, the slight hint of discontent in his voice.

"Is that what this is?" She asked, still trying to catch her breath. "I just went into the first place I didn't recognize."

"Look, I get what you're trying to do; but let's just go home." He told he with agitation rising in his voice. He looked over at her and was surprised to find her braiding her soaking hair. The previous makeup she had been wearing just moments earlier was completely washed away only leaving faint black lines running from the corners of her eyes down her pale cheeks.

Hinata caught him staring and blushed slightly embarrassed. "I know I look pretty messed up; I'm working on it."

He gave her a small smile but didn't reply. He continued to watch as she finished braiding her hair and used the back of her palms to wipe away the drips of eyeliner and mascara that had rained on her cheeks. Reaching down, she grabbed the edge of her soaked dress-shirt that clung to her. With a sigh she peeled it up, pulling it over her head; leaving her in the black undershirt and white capris. Folding the drenched shirt, she placed her pile of pins and pearled clip inside of it, then put the sopping fabric inside a nearby wooden cubby where patrons could safely put their things. Then she looked back up at Riku with a satisfied smile.

"Now I feel more like myself." She gave a small chuckle.

Riku smiled back at first but then a crash of thunder from outside reminded him of the situation they were in. He glanced out at the ever growing intense storm outside and asked. "Alright, do you want to try going home?"

"You don't even want to consider staying here?" She asked with a huff.

"Do you really want to have our first date at this childish place?" He looked back at her with a frown.

Hinata glanced around at the arcade and replied, "What's so childish about it? It looks kind of fun." She went forward, towards a rectangular box with a large chair situated in front of it. Placing her hand on a small circular wheel in between the chair and the box, she asked, "Like… this thing. Are you supposed to play it?"

"What do you mean?" He asked completely boggled. "It's a racing game." He watched her examine the game for a moment before asking. "Wait… have you never been to an arcade before?"

She shook her head before admitting, "I don't think so. You think I would have remembered going to someplace like this back in my world." Looking away from the game, she asked, "How does this place work?"

Riku rubbed the back of his neck, his damp hair clinging to his skin. "Uh… you get these gold coins and use them to play all these games. Most of the games are for kids though."

"And what about those?" Hinata asked, moving away from the racing game and looking towards the rewards booth.

With a sigh, he walked up behind her and explained, "Some of the games you can win tickets. If you get enough tickets you win one of those prizes."

"Can we play some of the games?" She asked, turning towards him.

"You seriously…" He began to complain; but looking over at her, he noticed her golden eyes bright with excitement. The same excitement she got every time he showed her something new around the island. He tried to ignore the look in her eye and come up with an excuse to leave but the longer she waited the more his resolve chipped away. With an inward groan he resigned, "Alright, sure."

The smile that appeared on her face when she heard his answer made his heart jump with a small flutter. He smirked and looked out at the array of arcade games, trying to figure out which ones he wanted to show her. His thoughts were interrupted when Hinata approached him with a clear cup full of golden coins.

"Where did you get those?" He asked her, looking down at the small cup in her hands.

"I bought them." She told him, "These are the coins we need to play, right?"

"Yeah but…" A small frown appeared on his face, "I'm supposed to be the one paying for this."

"Well I know you don't really want to be here that much…" She admitted, "So I thought I would pay for this." Before Riku could respond, she grabbed his hand and began leading him back to the racing game. "Alright, teach me how to do this."

Riku rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smile on his face as Hinata excitedly led him to the game. It was one of the fancier racing pieces with a large black seat with speakers beside the headrest. The wheel was made of realistic leather attached to a dashboard that sat in front of the curved screen showing demo runs of different racetracks through over the top scenarios.

He began explaining the basics of the game, having her sit down in the chair before showing her where to put her feet for the gas and brake of the virtual car. Hinata listened intently, asking questions as if there was going to be a pop quiz afterwards. When he felt that she was well enough prepared he got out two of the gold coins.

"Alright you ready?" He asked her while trying to hold back his snicker when she replied with a determined nod.

Once the coins were in the machine a loud fanfare played, startling Hinata. She went through the process of choosing the car and track with Riku's guidance and before she knew what was really happening the game had her at the starting line.

"Well, here goes nothing." She told herself, giving a nervous smile to Riku.

Riku let out a short laugh and reminded her, "You know this is just a game, right?"

"You say that now, but the moment you play this with me you're going to turn it into a high-stakes competition." She quipped back, giving him a smirk before averting her attention back to the game as the countdown to begin the race began.

He scoffed in response and muttered under his breath, "Will not."

The countdown on the screen reached zero and the cars beside Hinata sped off in the distance while her car stuck at the starting point. She flustered as she found the right pedal and finally pressed her foot down on it, slowly inching her vehicle forward.

"Put your foot down!" Riku ordered her with a laugh.

Hinata did as she was told and startled when the car immediately roared to life; speeding down the twisting road that went through the jungle and running into every tree in her path. Riku became the backseat driver, occasionally taking the wheel from her to steer her in the right direction while telling her what to do.

"I'm not going to learn if you keep taking the wheel!" Hinata yelled at him, swatting him away as the other cars began lapping her.

"I wouldn't have to keep taking it if you would just stop running into everything" He replied bluntly trying to hold back his laughter.

"Well it's a little hard to concentrate with you ordering me around!" She argued; trying to figure out how to back out her car from the corner she drove herself into.

"Put the car in reverse…" He began telling her, reaching forward towards the stick shift before Hinata smacked his hand.

"I will figure it out," She told him adamantly.

Riku rubbed his hand and shook his head, "Well remind me to never buy you a car."

"Oh shut up," She scoffed with a short laugh. "I bet you weren't very good at this the first time you did it."

"I wasn't this bad," He told her, amused when Hinata gave him a glare.

She was about to respond but was interrupted when the game played a low sad tune and the screen lit up with the words, 'Last Place'. With a sigh, Hinata slumped back in her seat and glanced over at Riku. He was doing his best to keep in a fit of laughter with a large smirk was on his face.

Hinata rolled her eyes, "Alright, just say it."

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone do so horrible at this game!" He finally doubled over laughing.

"I want to try again." She told him, sitting up in her seat confidently.

Riku looked up in surprise, still snickering, "Seriously?"

"I'm going to figure it out," She reached forward and grabbed two more coins.

Wiping the corners of his eyes from his laughing fit, he sighed. "Alright, suit yourself." Reaching into the cup he grabbed himself two coins. "But I'm going to race with you this time and I'm not going to help you out."

"Good," She told him before mumbling, "I might be able to drive this time."

"I heard that." He noted, sitting in the seat beside her. "Alright, make sure to pick the same map as me so we can race together."

"Pick an easier track." She told him. "Preferably one without trees."

Riku nodded and set up the race on a simple circular track in a city. He glanced over at Hinata as the track loaded, smiling to himself when he saw the determined look in her eye over such a silly game.

Hinata noticed his stare and quickly glanced at him. "What?" She asked him, her voice serious as she looked back at the screen.

"Nothing…" He looked away before chuckling. "You're just being really cute."

She wrinkled her nose with a discontented look, "What?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Oh please, stop trying to distract me. You're going to beat me no matter what."

"I'm being serious!" He defended, turning back to get ready to start the race as the countdown began.

His car sped off the moment the countdown reached zero darting side glances to Hinata's screen to see how she was faring. Without the obstacles in her path she was coping much better than her first run and was even able to make her way past a few other racers.

"Hey, you're doing pretty good." He commented to her as he sped his way to first place. When she didn't respond, he looked over at her to see her eyes glued to the screen completely zoning him out. He momentarily forgot about the race and watched her determinedly learning the game with a small smile on his face.

"Why are you stopped?" Hinata asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Riku shook his head and turned back to his own screen, watching as Hinata and several other racers sped past him. "Oh great," He complained under his breath, pressing down on the acceleration to get back into the race.

With a blast of speed he easily regained his ranking, passing Hinata in the process. He quickly finished the race passing the finish line. His screen lit up with bright lights and a chiming fanfare blared through the speakers. He ignored the game's celebration and turned his attention to Hinata as she had momentarily lost her focus from the sudden noise and crashed into a wall. A groan escaped her as she looked around her dashboard for a way to back up.

"The stick shift…" Riku pointed.

Hinata scoffed and swatted her hand towards him. "You said you weren't going to help me!" She reminded him but reached her other hand around the stick and pulled it into reverse. Before she could get herself out of the collision the unfortunate notes once again played, alerting her that she had gotten last place and didn't finish the race. Groaning, she leaned back in her seat and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Maybe racing isn't for me." She admitted.

"You did better that time." Riku assured her, reaching over and placing his hand on her shoulder. "You even passed me once."

"Yeah, but only because your car stopped." She pointed out, glancing over at him. "Why did that happen anyways?"

"I-uh got distracted." He quickly told her, rubbing the back of his neck feeling that his once soaked hair was almost dry. "Did you want to try some of the other games before we leave?"

She perked up, "Yeah, I'd like that."

"We can keep playing this if you want."

"Maybe later," She shrugged, "I want to learn how the other games work."

Riku got up from his seat and glanced towards the glass windows that led outside. The storm had transformed into a full monsoon. At least two inches of water filled the roads and not a single person was seen outside. A frown appeared on his face as he realized that they were going to be stuck there for possibly the whole day. He looked away when Hinata came up beside him and grabbed his arm.

"Everything alright?" She asked him.

He sighed, "Uh… yeah. We might be stuck here a while."

Hinata looked outside and noticed the downpour. "Wow…" She replied, "I don't think I've ever seen it rain this bad here."

"Yeah," He agreed his frown growing.

"Let's not worry about it." Hinata assured him. "At least we got stuck in a place that can keep us busy. We'll just hang out here until the storm blows over."

He took a deep breath, "This really isn't how I wanted to spend our first date."

"I know," She admitted, "But I don't mind." Tugging on his arm, she said, "Now come on; let's find another game to play."

Reluctantly, Riku turned around and led Hinata to another game. His frustration soon melted away as he taught her different games, smiling when she would get serious and determined. A few of them came easily to Hinata and she even proved to be better at Riku with a couple. Her favorite ended up being a side scrolling fighting game, no surprise to Riku.

Hinata hit the finishing K.O on Riku's character and triumphantly pumped her fist in the air with a cheer. "Now the score is 5 to 0." She reminded him proudly with a sing-song voice.

Riku rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I'm just a little rusty." He reached forward to grab another coin but was met with an empty cup.

"Oh… we're out." Hinata realized with disappointment.

"Alright, be right back." He told her, walking away before Hinata could ask where he was going. Within a couple minutes he returned with a large cup full or more coins. A grin appeared on his face when he saw Hinata's eyes light up. Holding up two coins, he asked, "Another round?"

"You're on!" She replied with a laugh.

He reached forward to insert the coins but suddenly the screen zapped to black. "Huh?" He asked while removing his hand from the machine. As he spoke the entire arcade followed suit, instantly powering down to leave them standing in a dark and silent room. Startled gasps and murmurs spread through the area from the workers and other patrons. Hinata reached over and grabbed Riku's hand to make sure he was beside her as only a very dim light from the gloomy storm outside shone through the windows.

"Did the power go out?" Hinata whispered.

"Well this is just great…" Riku grumbled beside her.

"Sorry everyone, just a small power outage; no need to panic" A grown man's voice called through the room, no doubt the arcade's manager. "We're lighting candles as we speak and are working on getting the power back. In the meantime, the pizza in the eating area is available for free; please excuse the inconvenience."

Hinata squeezed Riku's hand, "Well at least we can eat now. I'm starving."

"I'm just thankful you still seem to be having a good time." He admitted with a sigh while blinking his eyes rapidly as they adjusted to the darkness. Seeing enough to make out where the pizza parlor was located he led them towards it.

They entered the checkered eating area where lit candles sat in the center of each booth and table. Along the bar that led into the kitchen was a spread of different types of pizza where a small line of people and small children were already grabbing their own slices.

"Hey look, candlelight dinner." Hinata pointed out with a giggle.

Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose and griped, "This is just embarrassing…"

Hinata didn't reply but tightened her hand around his as they stood at the back of the line. Within a couple minutes they got their plates of food and found a somewhat secluded booth in the corner away from a majority of the other patrons. Riku sat across from Hinata with a scowl seemingly permanently on his face. He poked at his food, obviously upset with their predicament.

Hinata looked up from her food and reached forward for Riku's hand. "Hey…" She started to say.

Riku let out a huffed breath, "This is probably the worst possible first date. Nothing has gone like I planned it."

"That's not your fault though." She pointed out. "Besides, I've been having fun today."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not." She defended. "Honestly I don't care what we do for our first date or any date for that matter." He glanced up at her as she continued. "Our dates don't have to be anything spectacular for either of us to have a good time. All I care about is being able to spend time with you, it doesn't matter what we do." Her cheeks flushed, "I… I really like you Riku and even though we're stuck in a blacked-out arcade eating cold pizza by candles… I'm still having a good time and…" She paused for a moment and let out a nervous laugh, "You can cut in at any time."

Riku chuckled in response and looked down at their clasped hands. "You really feel that way?"

"Of course I do." She admitted running her thumb along his wrist. "I'm not the type of person to hide how I feel. Plus you've seen me try to lie, it's painfully obvious."

"Yeah, it's pretty awful." He agreed, smirking when Hinata gave him a look. Averting his eyes, he told her. "But… thanks. I just really wanted today to be perfect."

"It is perfect." Hinata interrupted getting an unconvinced look from Riku. "We get to spend a whole day of uninterrupted time together. Usually when we try to spend time together Sora or Kairi interrupt it within the first few minutes. So in my mind this is probably one of the best dates we could have gone on."

Riku slightly frowned with an unsure expression, "I get what you mean, but no... The day I had planned would have been better."

Hinata leaned her elbow on the table, "Well alright then, what did you have planned for today?"

He shook his head before telling her, "I'm going to save it until our next date. Then you can tell me which one you liked better."

"Alright fine." She resigned with a sigh, leaning back in her chair. "But I'm expecting it to be spectacular now."

With a chuckle he assured her, "It will be."

They continued to chat with each other while they began eating their pizza. Riku gradually relaxed again enjoying himself despite their circumstances. By the time they finished eating the arcade's power came back to life. Outside the storm was still growing in intensity so they decided to spend the coins Riku bought before the outage. At Hinata's insistence they played games that would allow them to win tickets and she proved to be rather competent at winning large amounts of tickets. By the time their coins were finally used up, their arms were stuffed with long strings of tickets.

A young male worker with tied back blue hair watched the couple as they brought up their mound of tickets to the prize counter. He sighed with relief that he was finally had something to do and stood from the stool he was lounging on. A large smile appeared on his face as they approached but he had to take a couple steps back as they unloaded the pile of tickets in front of him. He stared at the towering things, wondering where he was supposed to start.

"Well…" he started, peeking over the side to see Hinata excitedly waiting for his verdict on the amount. "It's going to take me a while to get all these counted; but you can probably get whatever you want. So go ahead and pick something out."

"See I told you," Riku told her, nudging her with his shoulder. "You'll be able to get what you were wanting."

Hinata nodded and pointed towards the very top of the prizes where a large plush panda bear was hung on the wall. "I would like the panda."

The worker pushed back some hair from his face and looked up at the panda that read the price tag of eight-hundred tickets. He nodded with a grin and told her, "About time someone got enough tickets to get him! Let me get some help with counting the tickets and I'll make sure you have enough."

As he walked away to grab some more workers, Riku commented, "I'm surprised out of all the things up there you want that stuffed animal. Since when are you into those things?"

Hinata shrugged without averting her gaze from the large animal. "Just stuck out to me." She took her eyes away from the bear and looked at Riku with a small smile. "Thank you teaching me how to play all the games."

He smiled back and looked over the games, "Yeah, it was nothing. I can't believe you've never been to an arcade before."

"I still don't quite understand what you find childish about this place." She told him. "I had a lot of fun here."

"That's because you didn't have to sit through a Freddy Bear performance." He replied a sense of distaste in his voice.

"Freddy Bear?" She repeated.

"You don't want to know," He assured her. "Hopefully with the storm and power outage they won't do it today."

As if to prove him wrong a loud playful voice came over the speakers, "All right kids! Gather around because it's time for Freddy Bear!"

Riku groaned in response and sighed, "Sorry about this."

"Oh I'm sure it's not that bad." She chuckled and took a couple steps forward to see the large stage clearer.

A few of the other patrons gathered around the half-circle stage as spotlights scanned the area. A dark red curtain parted ways to reveal an almost unsettling bear animatronic. A small black top hat was on top of the bright blue 'fur' and it looked at the audience with a large grin.

"Oh…" Hinata whispered, crossing her arms at the sight in front of her.

The bottom half of the bear's mouth opened and began speaking in a goofy voice, "Hey kids! Are you having fun?" A weak response of kids answering let him continue, "Well I tell you what, Freddy Bear has a whole lotta fun planned for you!" As the words left his mouth a loud and almost obnoxious song began playing and he sang for the audience.

Seeing enough Hinata slowly turned around and headed back to Riku, who stood with an annoyed scowl on his face. Once she was back at his side, she mumbled, "Never mind… it's bad."

Riku chuckled, "Yeah, I hate that bear."

The blue-haired worker returned with a couple other workers and they began counting through the pile of tickets. The annoying sound of Freddy Bear singing behind them even began wearing away at Hinata's patience and she was soon matching the scowl on Riku's face.

"Don't you get tired of hearing that bear sing?" Hinata asked the blue-haired worker.

"You have no idea…" He replied, but quickly went back to counting.

Within the next few minutes the tickets were counted, coming out to one-thousand. They gave Hinata the large panda bear plushy and Riku used the remaining tickets to get a couple bags of sour candies. Once they received their things and the workers dispersed, they made their way towards the exit of the arcade. The rain was still pouring down but wasn't as rough as it had been a couple hours earlier.

"Seems like it might finally be calming down." Hinata noted.

"Yeah," Riku agreed, glancing around to see what they should do next. "We probably shouldn't chance leaving yet though."

"Let's just sit and talk for a bit." Hinata offered, walking towards a half-wall that fenced off the entrance from the rest of the arcade. She slid down to sit, placing her stuffed bear beside her.

Riku reluctantly walked beside her and sat down, their arms brushing against each other. Leaning his head back against the wall he commented, "Well this has been… something."

Hinata smiled and leaned her head against Riku's shoulder. "I had fun. It will definitely be a good story to tell."

"That's true." He chuckled in response.

They sat in silence for a couple minutes, watching the rain pour outside and trying to ignore the Freddy Bear singing in the background. Eventually Hinata spoke up, "So here's a question, if we ever find a way to get off this island and explore; what type of world would you want to find?"

Riku thought about it for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure; anywhere other than here."

Hinata let out a short laugh as she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. "Oh come on, you've been dreaming about it for years. There has to be at least something you want to find."

Leaning one of his arms on his knee, he admitted, "I don't really know what's out there. I think that's what really interests me so much." He watched the rain drops outside splash into puddles on the sidewalk. "This island is just so small… there has to be more. I just don't know what."

She examined his thoughtful expression before moving her hand beside her over to his. As their hands met, Riku looked away from the rain to her and their eyes met. "We'll find out someday." She assured him quietly. "We know a little bit about what my world was like."

He gave her a small sad smile, "Yeah, but even with what you've told me about it I can't really imagine it." With a sigh, he looked back outside and confessed, "It just feels like the longer I'm stuck here the less I believe I'll ever get to leave. This island feels like a prison more than anything. Even you are stuck here and you aren't even from the island."

Hinata's eyes saddened and she glanced down at their clasped hands. "I'm glad I'm here though." She admitted with her voice so soft Riku could barely hear her over the loud sounds coming from the arcade. He looked over at her, watching her as she had her eyes downcast to their hands and her cheeks flushed. "If I hadn't come here I never would have met you."

She raised her gaze and met with Riku's bright turquoise eyes staring back at her, their faces only a few inches apart. Their faces warmed as they looked at each other and Hinata could've sworn she noticed his eyes glance towards her lips. Ever so slowly, Riku leaned towards her causing Hinata's heart to immediately race. Without thinking she began leaning towards him not sure what she was even doing. A loud crash of thunder from outside startled both of them and broke them out of their trance. They pulled apart and averted their gazes from each other. Riku closed his eyes with an inward groan that he had chickened out.

Clearing her throat uncomfortably, Hinata eventually spoke up, "It looks like we could probably head back now."

Riku opened one of his eyes to see that the rain outside was suddenly back in a drizzle. Taking a deep breath, he stood up. "Yeah, we better get going." He held out his hand for Hinata to help her stand and she took it with a small smile.

They remained holding hands as she held the stuffed bear and grabbed her extra clothes. In silence they left the arcade and entered the wet outdoors. The rain was just in a drizzle but the ground was soaked and made both of their shoes soggy as they walked. They soon reached the ferry that was thankfully still running and took it back to the main island. Not a word was said between them as they got off the boat and headed towards Hinata's neighborhood. As they reached the familiar blue wooden home they noticed silhouettes of Sora and Kairi in the window.

"Looks like they're waiting for us." Hinata commented with a chuckle. "I wonder if Sora's was here the whole storm."

"Hey…" Riku finally spoke up and stopped walking. Hinata looked back at him and he darted his eyes away as his cheeks flushed. "About before… When we were waiting for the rain to stop, I almost, or we almost…" He cleared his throat nervously.

"We shouldn't force it." Hinata interrupted him, her own cheeks flushed when Riku looked over at her. "I-I mean… not that I would have minded if that was our first uh… you know." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "But… I think we should wait on it until we're comfortable with it." She forced herself to make eye contact with him. "Is that alright?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded, "Uh, yeah. I think that's great."

Hinata smiled and then giggled, "I'm really looking forward to us not having to be nervous around each other."

Riku chuckled in response. "You and me both."

The front door to the house opened and caught their attention. Looking over they saw Sora and Kairi running out of the home towards them. Riku reluctantly let go of Hinata's hand as they approached and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"There you are!" Sora exclaimed, running to Riku. "We were starting to get worried with the storm."

"So I take it things didn't go as planned?" Kairi asked, walking beside Hinata and looking her over. "What happened to your outfit?"

"The dress got soaked from the rain so I took it off." Hinata explained. "And my hair got ruined in the bun so I took it out and braided it so it wouldn't tangle too much… But yeah, things didn't exactly go like Riku planned it." She glanced over at Riku as he spoke with Sora. Their eyes met for a moment and he gave her a small smile. Hinata smiled back and told Kairi, "I had a great time though."

Kairi giggled, "You two are really cute together."

Hinata's cheeks flushed and she looked back to Kairi. "Cute? You think so?"

She nodded, "Yeah! It's not every day I get to see Riku acting so nervous." She giggled again, "He was so sweet when he picked you up this morning! I don't think I've ever seen that side of him before."

"Yeah," Hinata agreed thinking it over with a smile. "It's definitely different." She looked down at the bear in her arm and added, "By the way, I got this for you." She held out the panda bear for Kairi. As she took it from her, she added, "You put so much work into getting me ready this morning I wanted to thank you."

Kairi held the bear in her arms with a smile on her face. "Thanks! Where did you find him?"

"At the arcade." She answered.

"You got Riku to go to the arcade?" Kairi asked in near disbelief.

Hinata laughed, "Yeah, it wasn't really his choice. It was pouring by the time we got to Shima Island and he wanted to go home; but I sort of ran off into the strip mall and entered the first building I didn't recognize."

"It ended up being alright though." Riku added, walking up to the girls with Sora. "Could have done without that stupid bear though."

Kairi and Sora laughed in response, knowing exactly what Riku was referring to.

"It's still a little weird that you guys are together now. I didn't even realize you guys actually liked each other." Sora admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Are you going to be off every weekend now?"

Riku and Hinata looked at each other, seemingly asking each other the same question. Eventually Riku spoke up, "Probably not. I have to save up some more money for next time; so maybe just once a month or every couple weeks."

"Well good, I missed hanging out with you today Riku!" Sora exclaimed, placing his hands behind his head. "Oh, and you too Hinata."

Hinata scoffed, "Uh-huh, I'm sure you did."

They laughed together and then Kairi grabbed Sora's arm, pulling him back to the house. "We'll give you guys some privacy. See you inside!"

"What!" Sora objected, half-heartedly trying to pull away from Kairi's grasp. "They just had a whole day together!"

Hinata chuckled and Riku just shook his head as Kairi closed the door behind them. They stood in silence for a moment, feeling the drizzle of rain fall around them.

"Is it weird that we're dating?" Hinata broke the silence and referred to what Sora had said.

"I don't think so." Riku shrugged, "I think Sora is just clueless about it and probably a little jealous that we started dating before him and Kairi."

Hinata laughed, "Well if he would ever just tell her how he feels…"

"Yeah I know," He interrupted with a chuckle.

"I had a great time today." She changed the subject and turned towards him. Reaching forward, she grabbed his hands and momentarily looked down at them before adding. "I never knew being with someone could make me so happy." She glanced up at him saw his surprised expression. With a breathy laugh she noted, "There I go being forward again."

Riku nervously laughed, "No it's fine. I guess I'm just surprised is all." He paused for a moment before quietly confessing, "I… feel the same way. Pretty much everything went wrong today; but I still had a good time. And… I think it's because I was with you." Hinata smiled at him and his cheeks deeply flushed. "Well that and the fact that we got free pizza."

Hinata giggled in response and he smirked.

"So you want to try going on another date in a couple weeks?" He asked her. "I'll make sure to double-check the weather."

She chuckled and replied, "I'd love to."

"Well uh-cool." He smirked. "That wasn't too hard."

"Future reference, there is very slim chance I'll ever say no to spending time with you." She told him pulling on his hand, "Now come on, we better get inside before Sora starts yelling at us."

Riku laughed, "Yeah alright, let's go."


	11. Let's Leave This Place

Chapter 11

The doors to the school swung wide open, allowing a flood of excited students to rush out of the buildings. Many of them were cheering as it was finally the first day of summer vacation. Hinata tightly held onto Riku's hand as he calmly and quietly led them out of the horde. He moved to the side towards the single picnic table in front of the school building and released Hinata's hand once they were out of the fray. Hinata watched the stampede of students and tried to spot Sora and Kairi amongst the mass. When she was unable to find them she turned to glance at Riku, seeing him staring out at the island with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face.

Stepping towards him, she placed her hand along his arm and asked, "Are you doing alright? You've been quiet all day."

He slowly nodded and answered without looking towards her. "Yeah, I'm fine…"

She stared at him for a moment before prying. "Are you sure?"

Riku side glanced at her with a bit of a glare in his eyes, but swiftly softened when he saw the worried look she gave him in return. Letting out a breath he confessed, "My parents want to talk to me after school." Turning towards her he explained, "My dad told me before I left for school this morning that they had something they needed to talk with me about."

Hinata's brows slightly furrowed, "That doesn't sound like them."

"Yeah I know," He agreed, "That's why I've been off today. Something's up."

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked.

He slightly smiled at the gesture, but shook his head. "Thanks, but my dad wouldn't even let you in the house. I have to go by myself." He looked back out at the island and sighed, "I should probably go and get it over with."

He was about to step forward to leave, but Hinata grabbed the inside of his arm. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I'll be fine, I promise." He assured her, placing his hand over hers. "I'll meet you at the secret cave when I'm done, alright?"

She reluctantly released him and nodded, "Alright, I'll be waiting."

He gave her a reassuring smile before turning and walking down the hill. The longer he walked the more his heart twisted with stress. He dug his hands in his pocket and felt the hot sun causing drops of sweat to form on his warm skin. His eyes were down casted as he went, paying little mind to the people walking all around him. Before he knew it he had reached his neighborhood. Many of the homes had balloons and streamers visible through the windows as if ready to celebrate their kids starting summer vacation. Riku glanced at the festivities around him, before looking forward and noticing a large yellow van in front of his house. The metal pull up door in the back of the vehicle was open, allowing Riku to see large pieces of furniture from his house packed inside. He slowed his walk to a stop and momentarily watched as workers wearing bright uniforms carried furniture and boxes from his front door up a metal ramp leading into the van.

The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach sunk even deeper than before as he pushed himself to enter his house. He saw his parents standing in the living room surrounded by boxes. His father was ordering one of the workers to carry a box carefully while his wife silently stood beside him with her thin hands clasped in front of her. Riku looked around boggled at the packed room. He had been staying at Sora's the past week and had only returned home the night before. There had been a few boxes he had remembered seeing before escaping to his room; but he hadn't thought anything of it.

Clearing his throat he caught both his parent's attention.

"Finally you're here." His father spoke up. "Took you long enough."

Riku swallowed hard and shortly replied, "School let out late."

"Yeah whatever, you're here now." His dad waved it off.

Riku waited for his dad to continue, but when he didn't, he asked. "What did you want?"

"We're moving." His dad quickly replied.

"I figured," Riku shrugged, "But where?"

"Your father got a job at Unmei Island." His mother meekly stepped forward and replied. "We're going to be moving this weekend."

Riku's eyes widened, "Unmei?" He stepped forward, "But that's the farthest island from here! And in three days!? How long have you known about this?"

His mother looked to her husband and nervously rubbed her hands together, before confessing. "Your father received the job during our last trip to Unmei…"

"You've known for that long?!" Riku interrupted with anger plain in his raised voice. "That was nine months ago! Was it that hard to tell me then? I even asked you guys what you did on that trip!"

"Well we're telling you now," his dad told him, his tone was gentler than usual since other people were present. "And don't raise your voice to your mother."

Riku clenched his hands and shook his head with frustration. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. "What about all my friends here? And my girlfriend…"

He was interrupted as his father suddenly guffawed, "You?! You have a girlfriend?!"

"Yeah, we started dating three months ago," Riku replied, his voice steadily rising again. "You would've known if you'd ever listen to me!"

"Who is she?" His dad asked, still laughing. "Are you blackmailing her or something? She must have been pretty damn desperate…"

"Shut the hell up!" Riku shouted to silence him. "It's none of your business who she is!"

His dad's eyes widened with surprise as Riku glared back at him. With a scoff, he replied. "Like hell it isn't my business. It isn't that dumb redhead is it? Is that why you're always out of the house? Shacking up with that…"

"Don't you dare talk about her like that!" Riku interjected while clenching his fists tighter. "Say whatever you want about me; but leave her out of it!"

His dad crossed his arms and glared at Riku as he stared back undeterred. He skimmed his eyes around at the movers still going in and out of the house, noticing a few of them side-glancing their way, and took a deep breath. Waving Riku off, he muttered under his breath, "Whatever… dumb kid."

Shaking his head, Riku suddenly turned and stormed out of the house. As he went through the front gate he pushed past one of the movers, causing them to drop the box they had been carrying. Without apologizing, he rushed out of the neighborhood, ignoring everyone yelling after him.

His feet crashed against the dirt road, sending clouds of dust behind him with every step as he ran towards the beach. He refused to look back towards his home and instead focused on getting to his boat. The all too familiar waves crashed against the sand as he reached the beach. In a hurry, he untethered his boat and silently sailed to the other island.

As he rowed away he finally allowed himself to look back towards his home. He could see the bright yellow color from the moving truck, even from the sea. A nauseous feeling itched into him the longer he looked at it.

Soon he reached the short wooden pier at the other island and jumped onto it to tether his boat. The beach around him was surprisingly empty as everyone was at their homes celebrating with their families. Riku stood up straight once his ride was secured and glanced at Hinata's boat beside his. He forced himself to look away and walked along the silent beach. He approached the secret cave and pushed the overgrown vines out of the way of the entrance before crawling inside.

Reaching the open enclave inside, he stood back up straight and saw Hinata standing with her back to him as she ran her hand along the lone door. She had been waiting there just as he had asked her to and looking at her; Riku felt a lump form in his throat. He opened his mouth to say something to get her attention but then closed it; he didn't know what to say. Before he could find the words, Hinata turned around and gasped when she saw Riku.

"Oh Riku, you startled me." She quietly laughed at herself as she walked towards him. Once she was right in front of him she reached forward and grabbed his hands. She looked up at his face and her bright smile slowly faded. "Is everything alright? How did it go?"

Riku stared back at Hinata, seeing the concern in her golden eyes. The longer he looked at her in silence the more his stomach twisted, eventually forcing him to avert his gaze. He fixed his eyes on the various cave drawings etched into the stone around them; noticing the poorly drawn duck Hinata had placed there about a month before.

"Riku…" Hinata quietly said his name, trying to get back his attention. "What happened?"

"I…" He slowly began to speak. "I'm moving." He didn't see Hinata's face but he could sense the dread filling her.

"Where?" She asked.

Swallowing hard, he admitted. "Unmei Island."

"Unmei?" She repeated, her voice slightly shaking. "But isn't that…?"

"A fifteen hour boat ride away? Yeah," He finished for her.

Hinata looked down at their clasped hands and took a deep breath, trying to accept what she was hearing. "Alright…" She quietly replied. "How long do we have?"

Riku paused before telling her. "Until this weekend."

"Three days?" She asked, looking back up at him. "We only have three more days to be together until you move so far away we'll hardly ever see each other?" When Riku didn't reply she released his hands and began pacing around the cave. "But… That's so unfair! Why are you even moving? And what is so important that your family wasn't given more than a half-week notice?"

"My dad got a job there." Riku interceded with his answers before she kept rambling out more questions. He finally looked at her and explained. "And apparently my parents have known for a while, they just told me today."

Hinata scoffed and shook her head. She used the back of her hand to wipe away a stray angry tear slipping down her cheek. "Exactly how long did they know?"

"They found out nine months ago." He replied, nodding when Hinata spun towards him with surprise. "They've known since you first got here." He took a couple steps towards her. "Look, I know this sucks… but there isn't anything we can do about it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "We just need to enjoy these last few days together. I'll try to come here to visit as often as I can. I'll get a job and save up money to buy tickets. If I make enough I should be able to come here every couple of months."

"Months?" She repeated with tears in her voice. "You want me to just accept that I'm only going to be able to see you every couple of months? If that?"

"That's not what I'm trying…" He attempted to correct his words.

"No, this is crazy," She shook her head and turned around while she quickly brushed away more tears. "I'm not letting them take you away like that."

"Hinata, there isn't anything we can do." He reminded her.

"Yes there is," She replied adamantly as she quickly turned towards him. "We're going to build that raft and sail out of here."

Riku stared at her momentarily speechless, "What?"

"I know that Mayor Zayn said it was reckless and a longshot but I don't care." She shook her head and looked up at him with tears glistening in her eyes. "I can't just sit here and let you be taken away from me." She let out a small sob and buried her face in her hands. "I know it's selfish…"

Riku watched her cry in front of him. Her small shoulders began to shake as her emotions began taking her over and Riku felt his heart swell in response. Stepping forward, he closed the distance between them and gently grabbed her wrists before moving them out of the way of her face. She looked up at him as he moved her hands. Lines of tears stained her reddened cheeks. Without saying anything, Riku leaned forward and met his lips with hers. A spike of chills rushed through each of them and the world around them seemed to fade away. Closing her eyes, Hinata hesitantly moved her lips against his, feeling her heart racing in her chest. Releasing her wrists, Riku moved his hands under her ears while gently running his thumbs along her cheeks. Reaching the end of his breath, he reluctantly pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. Both of them were breathless.

"Wow…" Hinata breathed, making Riku quietly laugh.

"I hope that was alright." He whispered.

"Are you kidding?" She asked before quickly meeting their lips back together for a short peck. "That was amazing…"

"Yeah, it was." He admitted with a short chuckle. "I can't believe I just did that."

Hinata giggled, "I'm glad you did. I loved it."

Riku smirked and pulled back enough so he could see her face. The previous sadness in her eyes had vanished and had been replaced with a simple glimmer of joy; in that moment everything going on didn't seem to matter. His heart was still racing and fluttered with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. His eyes went back to her lips, already wanting to kiss her again. Just as he began leaning forward, Sora called from the entrance of the cave.

"Riku, Hinata?" Sora's voice echoed from the entrance. "Are you guys in here?"

Pulling back with an annoyed breath, Riku stepped away from Hinata and called back. "Yeah Sora, we're in here!"

"Kairi, I found them!" Sora yelled.

"We'll be right out!" Hinata assured him.

"Don't take too long, lovebirds!" Sora replied before exclaiming, "Ouch! Kairi, I was just teasing!" They heard Sora's complaints as Kairi dragged him away.

Hinata giggled and motioned towards the entrance of the cave. "I guess we better get out there."

"Yeah probably." He agreed before asking. "Were you serious about making that raft?"

"Yes, of course." She told him. "I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't." Riku to her as she continued. "It might take some work to convince the others. I mean, I know Kairi will be up for it; but I'm not sure about Sora. He's never seemed interested in leaving."

"He'll turn around." Riku smirked.

"I hope you're right." She commented. Stepping forward, she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before turning around and scurrying out of the cave with a blushed face.

Riku smiled and placed his hand over his cheek before following her out. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden brightness of the sun as he came back outside. Once he could fully look around, he saw Sora and Kairi at the shoreline, splashing in the sparkling water. He felt Hinata interlace her fingers with his and looked over at her. Her cheeks were still blushed as she smiled over at him. He smiled back before walking along with her to their friends. As they approached the shoreline they released each other's hands.

"Alright we're here." Riku called out to them and crossed his arms. "What's up?"

"There you guys are!" Sora chimed as he turned to face them. He placed his hands on his hips over the long pair of red swim trunks he wore. "Kairi and I have been looking for you two since school let out!"

Kairi stepped forward, her two-piece purple bathing suit glistening from the sea water. "When Sora and I got out of class we didn't see you at the top of the hill; so we both headed back to our homes to see if you guys were there."

"Then when we didn't find you there either we figured you guys were here already." Sora added while lacing his hands behind his head. "So we changed into our swimsuits and came here!"

"Yeah, sorry about disappearing like that," Hinata apologized.

"It's alright," Kairi smiled. "I'm just glad we found you guys."

"But why did you leave school so fast?" Sora asked.

Hinata looked over to Riku as he replied. "My parents wanted to talk to me."

Sora's smile slightly diminished from his words and he asked, "Is everything alright?"

Kairi looked between them with slight confusion but remained silent.

Riku rubbed the back of his neck and explained. "They… wanted to tell me that we're moving to Unmei Island this weekend."

Both Kairi and Sora's eyes widened. "What?!" They exclaimed in unison.

"B-But, they can't do that!" Sora objected while motioning his hands forward. "That's so far away!"

"We'll hardly ever get to see you," Kairi added with a troubled voice. "And what about you and Hinata?"

"Actually," Riku looked over to Hinata with a hopeful smile. "Hinata had an idea."

Both Sora and Kairi shifted their gazes to Hinata, anxiously awaiting her plan. Hinata cleared her throat and asked. "Do either of you remember our idea of building the raft to sail to another world?"

Kairi slightly cocked her head to the side. "You mean the one that Mayor Zayn said was impossible?"

Hinata slightly frowned. "Well, yeah. But he didn't say it was impossible; just that he had never heard of it happening before. But Riku said that he remembers hearing stories about someone doing it and I've found a couple stories in the school library talking about it too." She looked out at the ocean horizon. "So, I know it's a long shot, but don't you think it's at least worth a shot?"

Kairi turned and followed Hinata's gaze out at the horizon. She thought it over for a moment before nodding "I do." She turned back to the others with a smile on her face. "This might be our only chance to do it; so I say let's go for it."

"Well Sora," Riku looked towards his best friend who was surprisingly silent, "What do you think?"

Sora uneasily looked between all of his friends expectantly awaiting his response. "Well, I…" He scanned his eyes around the island he loved before gazing back at his friends that he admittedly cared for even more. Inhaling deeply he nodded, "I'm in." A grin slowly appeared on his face as he re-laced his hands behind his head and added, "Plus, think of all the cool things we'll get to see! I wouldn't want to miss out on that!"

His other friends laughed in response.

"Alright, it's settled then." Riku spoke up. "Let's make the blueprints for the raft today and tomorrow morning I'll get some of the wood we need from my shop."

"We have to start right now?" Sora half-heartedly whined. "I sort of wanted to take a nap."

"You slept through half the classes today." Kairi reminded him.

"Plus we should probably get started now since we only have a few days." Hinata pointed out.

Sora sighed in resignation, "Alright fine…"

Hinata chuckled and pointed behind her. "My backpack's in my boat; I'll go grab a notebook and some pencils."

As she walked away, Riku looked towards his other friends. "Thanks guys."

"Sure!" Kairi replied with a sweet smile.

"I'm surprised you even invited us," Sora admitted with a mischievous smirk. "I'd thought you'd want Hinata all to yourself."

Riku scoffed, "I wouldn't leave without either of you. You guys made this place bearable."

"That's almost nice of you to say." Sora commented as he placed the back of his hand against Riku's forehead. "Are you feeling alright?"

With a laugh, Riku swatted his hand away. "I'm fine!"

The three of them laughed together and soon Hinata returned to them holding a notebook and a few pencils. They all went to the paopu tree to begin working on the plans for the raft.

Sora looked over Kairi's shoulder as she began sketching out their ideas. "How big are we going to make it?" He asked. "Can we make a pirate ship?"

Riku scoffed and replied sarcastically, "Yes, we're going to make a full blown pirate ship in two days."

"Well you never know!" Sora defended. "You make things out of wood all the time, Riku!"

"Weapons and boats are completely different things." He reminded him.

"I was thinking it should be flat." Hinata spoke up. "Riku told me there could be storms out in the ocean, so a flat raft would keep the waves from sinking us."

"That's a great idea," Kairi agreed. She sketched out a long rectangular raft with a single mast that had a wide sail attached to it. Holding up the paper when she was done, she asked. "Something like this?"

The others looked at the sketch.

"That seems doable." Hinata nodded.

"I can get the wood for the raft from my job." Riku added. "I'm not sure about the mast though."

"There are logs all over the island." Kairi reminded him. "I'm sure Sora could find some for us."

"What? Me?" Sora spoke up. "Why do I have to do it?"

"We're all going to have to help out to make the raft." Kairi told him. "You can't just nap on the beach and expect us to do everything."

Sora sighed, "Alright, fine. I guess I can find a few things."

"We'll meet here tomorrow morning to get started." Kairi told all of them, already taking charge of the project.

"Great," Riku smirked.

"But now that that is done, can we go swimming now?" Sora asked. He slid off the trunk of the tree and beamed. "We might be leaving in a few days, but it's also the first day of summer! Let's enjoy it!"

Kairi giggled as she closed the notebook and also slid off the trunk. "Okay Sora, you win. Let's go swimming."

"Alright!" Sora cheered, already running down the wooden bridge to get to the beach with Kairi in tow.

Riku watched his friends run off and spoke up to Hinata. "We're really doing this."

"Yeah, finally." She replied. "Hopefully it will work."

"It has to," He sighed, turning to look at her. She still sat up on the trunk of the paopu tree as she stared out at the ocean. "But if we need to, we'll think of something else."

Hinata glanced down at him with a small smile. "Are you excited?"

"To leave?" He asked. When she nodded he smirked. "You have no idea. It still hasn't hit quite yet. I can't imagine what we'll find out there."

"It'll be great." She replied as she went back to gazing at the horizon.

Riku leaned back against the trunk of the tree and crossed his arms. They watched the calm waves for a few minutes before he spoke up again. "Do you think you'll come back here?"

"To visit, maybe," She shrugged. "But, like I told Kairi, this place… it isn't really my home. Even though I can't fully remember where I came from, I still want to go back there." She looked over at him. "How about you?"

"I don't think I'll come back." He admitted. "At least, not until I see what all is out there." He was silent for a moment. "I wouldn't mind staying at your world though. I mean, as long as you're there."

Hinata smiled. "Yeah, I'd like you to see it too." She slid down from the trunk and landed on the sand beside him. "But for now, let's enjoy our last free day on the island." She reached forward and grabbed his hand. "Want to go swimming with Sora and Kairi?"

He looked over at her, "You're still in your school clothes."

She shrugged and laughed, "Not like I'm going to be wearing this to school again any time soon."

He smirked in response, "Fair enough."

They walked together to the beach and enjoyed the rest of the day with Sora and Kairi. Before they knew it the sun was beginning to set and they carried out their tradition of watching the sun set at the paopu tree. Once the stars were starting to sprinkle the sky they made their way to their boats at the pier and rowed back to the main island.

They soon got back and had to say their farewells to go back to their own homes. As Sora tethered his boat to the pier, Kairi sat beside him and talked with him. While they chatted, Riku came over to Hinata and grabbed her hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He told her. Giving her small hand a tiny squeeze he added. "And, thanks for everything today."

She tilted her head slightly to the side with a smile. "For what?"

Riku opened his mouth to tell her, but seeing her coy smile he chuckled under his breath. "I'm pretty sure you know." He noticed Sora and Kairi finishing their conversation, so he quickly leaned forward and kissed Hinata's cheek before whispering. "Good night."

Hinata's cheeks blushed as he pulled away and released her hand. "G-Good night." She replied with a soft voice, watching him turn around and walk away, and placing her hand over where he had kissed.

"You ready to head home?" Kairi startled her out of her trance.

She looked over to see Kairi standing beside her but Sora was nowhere to be seen. "Oh, uh, yeah."

They began walking back together and Kairi spoke up, "A lot happened today."

Hinata nodded, "Yeah…"

"It's strange to think we'll be sailing from the island in just a few days," She said thoughtfully, "But at the same time, I'm not worried about it."

"Oh yeah?" Hinata asked, glancing over at her.

"Yeah, it's strange," She placed her hand over her chest. "But somehow I know in my heart that everything will be okay; that no matter what happens we can always come back here."

Hinata smiled, "I know what you mean. I'm not nervous about it all, surprisingly. Even with everything Mayor Zayn said against it, I think we're doing the right thing. Like as if, this is what's supposed to happen." She momentarily stopped walking. "Is that a weird thing to think?"

"I don't think so," Kairi shrugged. "We do live on Destiny Islands, maybe what we're feeling is destiny."

Hinata chuckled, "I suppose that explanation is better than nothing." She began walking again and met her pace with Kairi's.

"I do feel bad about leaving Mom and Dad behind." Kairi confessed with a quiet voice.

"Yeah… but like you said, you'll be back." Hinata assured her. "And as welcoming as they have been, this isn't your home and you have every right to want to go back to your real one."

"I guess that's true," Kairi agreed.

They continued to chat until they got back to their home. Upon walking inside they were greeted by both Hana and Shin. They ate a dinner with them before swiftly going to bed to get some sleep. Despite all the excitement, they were able to fall asleep quickly.

Early the next morning, an alarm clock surprised Hinata awake. She quickly sat up in her bed and groggily slammed her hand on top of her plastic clock, making the blaring sound cease. Once the room fell back to silence, she let out a large yawn and rubbed her eyes. Kairi was still fast asleep in her bed across the room, barely stirring from Hinata's alarm.

Hinata looked over at the clock again to see the time and read that it was barely five in the morning. A low grumble emitted from her as she forced herself out of bed and dragged her feet to the closet. She knew Riku would be awake and would no doubt be at her door in less than an hour. Despite her complaints about wanting to sleep in every day, he had been regularly picking her up at 5:30 AM on his days off so they could spend some time together before the day began.

Picking out her regular outfit of tinged green pants and long sleeve gray-blue shirt with peekaboo holes along the shoulders, she tucked them under her arm and went to the bathroom to get ready. Within minutes she emerged with her hair in a ponytail and answered the door just as Riku began to knock.

She winced as the bright morning light shined in her eyes when she opened the door, but smiled when she saw Riku expectantly standing there. Letting out another yawn, she greeted, "Good morning," Moving out of the way so he could enter, she added, "I'm going to get some coffee."

Riku smiled as he entered the familiar home and closed the door behind him. He walked into the kitchen as Hinata began brewing her cup of morning brew.

"I've been thinking," Hinata spoke up. "If we do end up finding my world and living there, I think we should change to my sleeping schedule."

"Sleeping in 'till noon every day?" He asked as he sat down in a kitchen chair.

She scoffed, "I don't think I've ever slept in until noon. I was thinking until at least nine or ten, or something at least reasonable."

Riku smirked and waited for Hinata to sit at the table with her coffee, before speaking up. "I was up all night thinking about the trip."

Hinata took a sip of her coffee and smiled, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what's out there." He told her with a rare excitement. "Just imagine what we'll find." He began going on about different ideas he had for worlds they could find while Hinata quietly listened to him, drinking her coffee.

After a few minutes, Hinata spoke up. "I'm surprised you have so many ideas. Last time I asked you about it you said you couldn't imagine other worlds."

"I think it's because it's so real now." He surmised. "Before I couldn't think about it because I didn't see a reason to."

She smiled, "Well it's nice to see you excited about it. I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

"It's something I've been dreaming about since I was a kid and now it's finally happening." He smiled back before standing from his chair. "You about ready? We should go pick up the wood from the shop."

Hinata yawned again and stood up. "Yeah, I'm ready." She quickly rinsed her mug in the sink before following Riku out of the house.

They continued to talk as they went to the wood shop where Riku worked and got the wood they needed for the raft. It was going to take multiple trips to get everything, so they took the first load to the beach. Hinata got into her boat and rowed over the first load of wood to the other island, while Riku went back up to the shop to get the rest.

As she got to the other island, Sora and Kairi were sitting on the beach. Sora let out a large yawn and fell back on the sand, obviously still not fully awake. Kairi jumped up when she saw Hinata and jogged over to help her unload the wood.

"Good morning!" She greeted Hinata.

"Hey," Hinata replied with a smile. "Riku's grabbing the rest of the wood, then he'll be here too."

"Great! " She chimed. "I already have some supplies set up. We can take these planks there."

"Sounds good," Hinata agreed. She jumped out of the boat and tethered it before handing Kairi some of the wooden planks.

Grabbing an armload herself, she followed Kairi off the pier and across the beach. They both rolled their eyes at Sora as they notice he had fallen asleep on the sand. Kairi led the way past a wooden door that went to the other half of their small island. On the other side Hinata saw the familiar obstacle course Riku and Sora would race each other on and a small pile of various hand tools on the beach.

Kairi approached the small pile of tools resting on the sand and told Hinata. "This isn't much, but these were some things I found around the house this morning. I figured they could help us put everything together."

"Good idea," Hinata nodded as they put down their pile of wood. She knelt down and looked through the tools; noticing a hammer, nails, sandpaper, and a few other things she admittedly didn't recognize. Grabbing the sandpaper, she said. "I have a feeling Riku is going to say we need to sand the wood."

"Yeah, I do too." Kairi nodded as she picked up her green journal she had also brought along. "I made a list of the supplies we need to collect too. I figure we can split them between the four of us so it shouldn't be too overwhelming."

Hinata stood back up straight and grabbed the journal. "Oh yeah, this should be easy. I could probably find most of this stuff in under an hour." Crossing her arms, she looked down at the tools. "The tough part is going to be putting this together."

"I'm sure Riku will know what to do." Kairi assured her. "Speaking of which, I wonder if he's here yet."

"He should be soon. I wonder if Sora is still sleeping."

Kairi giggled, "I'd be surprised if he wasn't; but I'll go check."

Hinata smiled as Kairi turned and walked off. Once she was out of sight, Hinata knelt back down to the pieces of wood and tools. Grabbing the sandpaper again, she looked at the rough texture. "I guess I might as well get started." She began rubbing the sandpaper over the wood in an up and down motion; unsure of how to properly do it. Several minutes went by and she soon got lost in her thoughts while working.

"You're doing it wrong," She heard Riku's voice above her and she looked up to see him smirking down at her with an armful of more wooden planks.

She smirked back up at him and asked, "Well alright smart guy, how am I supposed to do it?"

Placing down the wood, he knelt down beside her and placed his hand over hers. "You should be making a circular motion." He explained as he moved her hand in the right direction.

"Don't you guys ever get tired of being coupley all the time?" Sora asked out of breath as he approached them.

Hinata looked up from Riku to see Sora slowing to a stop from a run. "Were you guys racing?" She asked.

"It didn't feel like one." Riku commented, sending a mischievous look up at Sora.

Sora scoffed and waved them off, "Whatever. You got a head start."

"You guys are too fast for me!" Kairi called as she ran towards them. She slowed to a stop once she reached them and rested her hands on her knees. "I can never beat you guys in a race."

"Don't worry too much Kairi," Hinata assured her, "You beat me every time we race."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "That's because you're always running into things."

"Yeah, racing isn't really your thing." Riku commented to Hinata.

"Oh shush," she scoffed and nudged Riku with her shoulder, making him snicker in return.

"Is this all the wood we need?" Kairi asked.

"For the raft itself, anyways." Riku answered. "We'll still need logs for the mast."

"Well, we better get sanding then!" Kairi chimed. Bending down she grabbed the other pieces of sandpaper, handing one to Sora.

"What's this for?" He asked.

"For sanding, silly!" Kairi giggled, "Come on, we have a lot of work to do."

With a sigh, Sora sat down with the others and joined in sanding down the wooden planks. They all diligently worked together for several minutes talking amongst themselves. After a while Sora fell silent as he absently stared down at his work. Hinata glanced up at him and noticed an almost troubled look in his eyes.

When the conversation reached a lull, she spoke up. "You haven't said anything in a while, Sora. Are you feeling alright?"

"Huh, wha?" He blinked and quickly looked up at Hinata. "Oh, yeah I'm fine." He assured her with a chummy grin.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "You seem like something's bothering you."

His other friends looked at him, silently agreeing with Hinata. Looking down at the long plank of wood in his hand, he asked. "Have you ever had a dream that felt real?"

"I think so," She replied slowly. "Why?"

Sora thought about it for a moment before shaking his head with a smile, "It's nothing, I just had a bizarre dream that I can't get out of my head."

"What was it about?" She pried.

"It was just a dream, don't worry about it." Riku spoke up. "It's probably from all those awful movies he watches."

"Hey!" Sora objected with a slight whine. "Was not!"

The others chuckled in response and went back to sanding. A couple hours passed before they were finally finished sanding and Kairi gave each of them a list of supplies to go and collect. It took a while, but soon they gathered everything together and finally built the entirety of the raft. It was nearing sunset when they stood back and admired their fully built raft. It didn't look too far off from the sketch Kairi had drawn the day before. The planks were well put together and the tan sail was full, already catching the passing wind.

Sora plopped down on the sand with exhaustion, "It's finally done!"

"Yeah, we did a pretty good job." Hinata agreed.

"We'll collect all the food we'll need tomorrow," Kairi told them. "And then we can set sail."

"The day after tomorrow…" Riku said under his breath with a sigh. He looked over when he felt Hinata grab his hand.

"It will be here sooner than you think." She told him with a small smile.


	12. Oncoming Storm

Chapter 12

The four friends stood at the beach, admiring their finished raft that bobbed on the soft waves of the sparkling ocean. A few cloth satchels filled with food and various supplies were piled in the center of the raft near the mast, everything was prepared for their departure.

Kairi let out a sigh as she reached her hand behind her and grabbed her other forearm. "This is it. Tomorrow's the big day."

"Yeah," Sora agreed, lacing his hands behind his head. "It's hard to believe it's actually happening."

Hinata looked over at Sora beside her, noticing a sad look in his eyes. "Are you alright, Sora?"

"Huh?" He asked as he whipped his head around to look at her. "Oh yeah, I'm fine!" He shined a bright grin, but Hinata could sense something off.

She opened her mouth to press him further, but Kairi spoke up first. "The sun's starting to set. I want to go watch it one last time." She smiled. "It's my favorite thing about the island."

"I'll go with you!" Sora quickly turned towards her.

Kairi giggled in response and glanced at her other friends behind him. "Are you guys coming?"

Hinata looked over at Riku silently standing beside her and shook her head. "We're going to stay here. We'll meet you there in a bit."

"Sure!" Kairi replied as she grabbed Sora's arm. "Come on Sora."

Hinata watched as they ran off towards the wooden door that led to the other half of the island with the paopu tree. Once they were through the door, she looked over at Riku. His arms were crossed as he absently stared at the raft.

She gently nudged him with her shoulder and asked softly, "Hey, are you doing alright?"

He side-glanced at her momentarily before looking back to the raft, "Yeah…" He quietly replied. "I'm just thinking. Are we sure this raft is going to work?"

Hinata gave him a confused look. "Aren't you the one that's been insisting it will?"

He lightly scoffed with a chuckle at the end. "Yeah I know. I just can't help but think that there has to be a better way."

"Yeah I feel ya," Hinata sighed and looked out at the raft with him. "There's so many ways this could go wrong. And we don't know how long we have to sail or if it will even work." She felt Riku tense beside her and she added, "But, even knowing all that stuff I'm not worried."

"You're not?" He asked.

"Well no," She told him. "I know that it's going to turn out fine. It's just a feeling I have in my heart." She placed her hand on her chest "This is our last night on the island. I know it is."

He chuckled, "Well it's good to know you're confident at least."

She reached over and grabbed his hand, causing him to look over at her. "It will be fine, Riku. I promise."

He looked at her and smiled. Giving her hand a small squeeze in return, he nodded, "Yeah, you're right."

She smiled back before looking back out at the ocean and admitting, "I do feel sort of bad about Sora though."

"What do you mean?"

"Something has been bothering him ever since he agreed to leave the island with us," She explained. "I just can't help but feel that he doesn't really want to go."

"He's the one that agreed," Riku shrugged, "No one was forcing him."

"Well yeah, but staying would have meant losing all of his friends." She countered. "I guess I just feel bad because by coming along with us, he's leaving a home he loves and a family that actually cares about him." Letting out a breath, she looked over at Riku, "He's in a no win situation."

Riku thought about it for a moment before telling her. "In in the end it's his choice. You don't need to worry about it."

"He's your best friend though," Hinata reminded him. "Aren't you at least a little worried about him?"

"Sora and I have been friends my whole life," Riku told her. "If something's wrong, he'll tell me about it." He turned to face her and assured her. "He's fine."

She stared back at him for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh. "Alright, I'll trust you.

He smirked, "Thank you."

"Of course," She smiled back.

They stared at each other for a few seconds until Riku stepped forward and gently pressed his lips against hers for a short kiss. When he pulled away he immediately noticed the deep blush in Hinata's cheeks.

He momentarily looked down at their clasped hands with a short laugh. "I, uh, I've been wanting to do that again since yesterday."

"What, kiss me?"

His cheeks flushed and he quickly stammered, "Y-yeah."

She let out a small giggle before confessing, "I've wanted you to too." She looked down at their clasped hands and sighed. "We probably won't be able to do that much in front of the others. Imagine the teasing from Sora."

Riku laughed. "Yeah, both him and Kairi would freak out." He looked back up at her, their eyes meeting. "I don't really care what they have to say though."

"You don't?" She asked.

"Of course not," He smirked, "If I want to…"

"Hey, you two!" Sora yelled as he opened the door. Riku quickly released Hinata's hands and stepped back before Sora could see them. "You guys coming? The sun's almost gone!"

"Be right there!" Hinata called back.

"We're just checking something on the raft!" Riku added in.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure that's what's going on!" Sora teased, before turning back around. "Well hurry up! We need to head home soon!"

Hinata waited until the door closed behind him before giving Riku a look, "You don't care what they think huh?"

He sheepishly smiled and shrugged, "I'm working on it."

She chuckled and glanced up at the darkening sky. Letting out a breath she said, "Well I guess we should be heading back. You ready?"

"Actually," He rubbed the back on his neck. "I'm thinking of staying here a bit longer."

"Oh, okay," She slowly spoke with a bit of confusion. "Why?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, I just don't feel like heading home yet."

"I can stay here with you if you want." She offered.

"No it's fine." He told her, "It's your last night here; you should spend it at home. My parents won't care if I'm out."

She slightly frowned but nodded, "Well alright, but don't stay out too late."

He scoffed, "Don't worry, 'mom', I'll be fine."

She rolled her eyes and stepped forward, giving him a small kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow then." She gave him a small smile before turning around and walking away.

Riku watched her head up the wooden steps towards the door with a smile on his face. After she gave him a final wave goodbye, he let out a long breath and looked out at the raft. Everything was put together and built just the way they had planned it; but something still didn't feel quite right about it. He walked out to the raft, letting the waves lap against his shoes before he jumped onto the wood. As if to reassure himself, he began checking the mast and the sail, making sure they were sturdy and well built. He opened the satchels of food to see the wrapped up fish surrounded by ice and seagull eggs. Closing them up again he sat down on the wood, leaning his back against the mast.

He stared out at the ocean as the sun completely went down and stars slowly began sprinkling the sky. The sound of the waves was the only ambience around him as even the island wildlife had gone to sleep for the night. Riku's heart and stomach twisted tighter the more he thought about everyone leaving on the raft tomorrow.

Letting out a huffed breath, he spoke aloud with frustration. "There has to be a better way."

A deep throated laugh echoed through the air, making Riku immediately tense. Something or someone was there with him on that beach. His heart pounded in his ears and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he felt a sense of fear that he was not accustomed to.

"I have a way to get you what you wish…" A dark abysmal voice spoke up. Its sound was quiet but Riku heard it clearly.

Riku stood up from the raft and inhaled sharply as he turned around. His breath caught when he saw a dark figure standing at the shore, staring at him. Its features were shrouded under an oversized burlap cloak that pooled extra fabric at its feet. Riku gazed into the dense darkness where its face should have been and felt a sense of both dread and somehow familiarity.

After a tense few seconds, Riku spoke up. "Who are you?"

Without replying the figure turned and walked away, moving up the set of sandy stairs as if it were gliding. Riku watched with uneasiness as the mysterious cloaked man phased through the door as if it wasn't even there.

As he disappeared, Riku yelled after him, "H-Hey wait!"

Despite his better judgement, Riku jumped off the raft and ran after the man. He sprinted up the stairs and shoved the door to the other half of the island open. Running to the other side, he went to the bridge leading to the paopu tree and slowed to a stop. His chest was heaving from lost breath as he spun around, searching for the figure.

When he was nowhere to be seen, he whispered. "Where is he?" He scanned the area again. "Did… Did I imagine him?"

Just when he was about to give up hope his eyes caught sight of the man standing right outside the entrance to the secret cave, staring at him. The moment their gazes met, a knot formed in Riku's stomach. Something wasn't right.

Without saying anything, the cloaked man turned away and entered the secret cave. Riku frowned and glanced over at his boat tethered to the pier on the shore; momentarily considering rowing back home and not looking back. His eyes went back to the secret cave where the man had just disappeared. He desperately wanted to know who he was and what he was doing there. Taking a deep breath to gain control of his racing heart, he forced his feet to move forward towards the cave.

He pushed aside the overgrown vines in front of the entrance and knelt down to enter. His eyes were not prepared for the darkness inside. Without the sunrays peeking through the cracks in the rocks, everything was completely black. Riku outstretched his hands, feeling the walls around him as he walked further into the cave.

"Hello?" He called out, trying to hide the tremors in his voice. "Is anyone in here?"

In response, an incredibly dim glow began emanating from the cave drawings etched into the stones as if by some sort of magic. Riku blinked rapidly, trying to force his eyes to adjust to the added light. Once he was able to focus, he spotted the cloaked figure silently standing beside the lone wooden door on the opposite end of the enclave.

Riku stood up straight, trying to seem as confident and intimidating as possible. "Who are you?" He asked again.

"I am of no importance." The man responded. His deep voice sent chills through Riku, making him feel perturbed.

"Then what do you want?" Riku asked.

"I can provide you an escape from this prison." He replied.

Riku's eyes slightly widened from his words; but shaking his head he told him. "I already have a way. My friends and I made a raft…"

"A meaningless effort," The man interrupted him. "That plan is only doomed to fail."

His muscles tensed throughout his body, making him clench his fists. "What do you know?" He scoffed.

"I know that without my help you and your friends will never make it off the beach."

Riku stared at him for several seconds. "What makes you think I want your help?"

"You said yourself," He reminded him. "You wished there was a better way. I am that way."

"And what way is that?" Riku asked, crossing his arms.

The figure turned around and told him. "By opening this door and unlocking the heart of this world."

Riku followed his gaze to the door and shook his head. "Don't you think I've tried opening it?"

The man chuckled deeply. "That was before you had my power. All you need to do now is touch the door and it will open."

Riku glanced at the door for a moment before asking. "How will opening it allow me to go to other worlds?"

"It is the key to leaving this place." He replied.

"What does that mean?" Riku asked.

"It does not require your understanding." The man explained. "Only that it will give you what you desire."

Riku frowned and looked back at the door. "Why me?" He eventually asked. When the man didn't reply, he tried again. "Why do you want me to open the door?"

"Another boy was approached earlier today, yet he understood nothing." The figure explained with a bit of distaste in his voice. "You, however, have a special power within you; the key to opening this door along with many others."

"A special power?" Riku repeated. He looked down at his hands as he held them out in front of him. Shaking his head, he looked back up at the man, "What are you talking about?"

"Open the door and you shall see." The man replied and stepped aside.

Riku looked at the door beside the man, feeling a tight knot in the pit of his stomach. He shifted his gaze between the man and the door, weighing his options. Hesitantly, he walked forward until he was right in front of the door. The warning signs in his mind were blaring for him to turn away, but despite them he raised his hand his front of him, inches away from touching the polished wood.

"All I have to do is touch the door," Riku side-glanced at the man beside him. "And my friends and I will be able to go to other worlds?"

Another low laugh emanated from the man, "You will see things beyond your wildest imagination."

A smallest hint of a smirk pulled at the corner of Riku's mouth. With a small nod he looked back at the door and pushed his hand against it.

…

Hinata sat at the kitchen table with Hana and Shin. She leaned back in her chair and let out a contented sigh. In front of her the table was covered with dishes of half-eaten food leftover from the dinner Hana had prepared. Hana and Shin sat across from her discussing summer plans, but Hinata barely heard a word of their conversation. Instead her thoughts whirled around leaving the island the following day.

She was abruptly brought out of her daydreams when the sharp sound of glass shattering caught her attention. With a slight startle she whipped around to see Kairi standing by the kitchen sink in a daze while tiny shards of sharp glass that used to once resemble a cup lay shattered around her feet. Kairi's eyes were wide as she took shaking breaths.

"My goodness, Sweetheart," Hana quickly got up from her seat and took a step towards Kairi, "Are you alright?"

Kairi placed her hand on her forehead and shook her head. "Y-yeah, sorry… suddenly felt… lightheaded, I guess." She looked up at her concerned family and self-consciously smiled.

"Have you been getting enough rest lately?" Shin asked as he also got up from his seat. "Perhaps you should go lie down."

"N-no, I'm fine." Kairi assured them. "I need to clean…"

"Don't worry about that, Sweetie." Hana interrupted her. "We'll take care of the broken glass. You go get some rest."

Kairi looked between her adopted parents for a moment before wordlessly nodding and carefully tiptoeing out of the broken glass. "Alright…" She told them as she walked out of the kitchen. "I'll be in my room."

Hinata leaned back in her seat as Kairi walked away and silently watched as Hana and Shin cleaned up the broken glass. She overheard them murmuring with each other, worrying about their daughter's wellbeing. Letting out a sigh, she got up from her seat.

"I'm going to go check on her," Hinata told them as she went towards her room.

Opening the bedroom door she saw Kairi sitting on the center of her bed with her knees against her chest as she stared out the window at the starry sky. She glanced over at Hinata when she entered but then quickly went back to star gazing. Hinata quietly closed the door behind her and leaned her back against it.

"You doing alright?" She asked Kairi after a few silent moments.

"I don't know…" Kairi admitted with a sigh. Her eyes down casted for a moment before she asked. "Have you ever suddenly got the feeling that something really bad is about to happen?"

Hinata gave her a strange look, "Um, I don't think so." She pushed herself off the door and walked towards Kairi's bed. "Why? Is that how you're feeling?" She sat at the edge of Kairi's bed, giving her a concerned look.

"I can't explain it," Kairi told her. "But… something isn't right." She looked back out the window. "I just don't know what it is."

"Maybe you're just worried about tomorrow." Hinata shrugged. "I mean, even Riku was having his doubts earlier but…"

"Wait!" Kairi abruptly interjected Hinata as she sat up with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked a bit startled. She watched as Kairi began hastily unfastening the locks on the window. "Kairi, what are you doing?"

Kairi pushed open the window, allowing the cool night winds to rush into the room. "Something's wrong, we need to get to the island."

"W-what?" Hinata was taken aback. "Why?" When Kairi didn't answer her, she grabbed her arm. "Kairi, what is going on?"

"We need to go now!" Kairi shoved Hinata's hand off her arm and climbed out of the window. Her feet hit the ground running. She sprinted out of the neighborhood, not listening to Hinata's calls behind her.

"Are you girls alright?" Hana burst into the bedroom, making Hinata spin around to see her. She looked around and realized her daughter was missing. "Where's Kairi?"

"Oh, uh…" Hinata slowly spoke. "She realized she forgot…. Something, on her boat, yeah. And… jumped out the window to go get it."

"What?" Hana asked with a bit of panic in her voice. "And you just let her go?"

"Yeah, well, thinking about it now… that probably wasn't the best choice; so, um, I'm going to go get her back." Hinata strained a smile before turning around and climbing out the window.

"What are you doing?!" Hana yelled out the window as Hinata ran away, but her voice was drowned out by howling winds. "What's going on?!"

"I have no idea…" Hinata whispered under her breath as she ran out of the neighborhood.

She held up her arms, trying to shield her face from the strong gusts of wind swirling all around her. The once clear starry sky was suddenly covered with thick dark storm clouds riddled with strings of lightning and rumbling thunder.

"Kairi!" She called out into the building storm. "Kairi, where are you?!"

Further down the island's hill leading to the shore, she spotted Kairi running towards her boat at the pier.

"What is she doing?" Hinata asked herself as she pushed herself to run after her. She reached the shore just as Kairi was beginning to row away. "Kairi, stop! Just wait a second," Hinata shouted over the ever growing storm. When Kairi didn't pause, she ran out into the waves and climbed into the boat. "Are you crazy?!" She asked her with panic plain in her voice once she was on. "There's this crazy storm going on and you want to go to the island? And jumping out the window? Are you serious?!"

"Someone is opening the door…" Kairi told her simply.

"What?" Hinata asked, "What door? What are you talking about?" When Kairi didn't answer, she grabbed her hands, forcing her to stop rowing. "Kairi, what the hell is going on?!"

"I told you!" Kairi yelled back, ripping her hands from Hinata's. "Someone is opening the door! I have to stop them!" She quickly went back to rowing.

Hinata was taken aback from Kairi's tone and threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "Oh yes the door, of course; excuse me for not having a clue what you're talking about!" She shook her head and asked, "How do you even know what's going on?"

"I don't know," Kairi admitted. "I just do."

Kairi's reply made Hinata frown. She looked up at the sky as the storm was quickly transforming into a hurricane. The ocean around them was black and thick, as if it weren't water at all anymore. Hinata looked behind them at the main island and her eyes widened. Roof shillings from the homes were flying into the sky, spiraling upwards and forming into an orb.

"This… seems familiar." Hinata told Kairi. She turned back around and looked at Kairi still stubbornly rowing away. "I've seen this before." Taking in a shaking breath she asked, "How could I have seen this before?"

Her question was met with silence as Kairi suddenly jumped out of the boat and onto the pier of the other island. Not bothering to tether the boat, she left Hinata behind and sprinted towards the secret cave. Upon reaching the enclave she saw Riku standing at the door with his hand pressed up against it. A green mist encircled him as he yelled out in pain. Without hesitating, Kairi ran forward and shoved Riku away from the door, making him fall to the ground.

The moment he hit the ground Riku heard the same deep voice from earlier echoing through his mind, "Don't be afraid of the darkness."

He struggled to get up, his muscles weak and numb. His breathing was ragged as he forced himself to look up, seeing Kairi standing at the door. A bright light emanated from her as the green mist tried to encapsulate her.

"R-Riku," She called out to him with a strained voice. "Get… Get out of here!"

"Kairi…" He replied with a weak voice, struggling to reach for her.

"Go now!" The deep voice bellowed in his mind. "Leave her!"

Riku suddenly felt a new surge of energy go through him and pushed himself to his feet. He gave one last look at Kairi before turning and leaving the cave. Coming out of the entrance he immediately brought his arms up to shield his face from sand flying through the air. Parts of the island itself were being ripped apart; spiraling into the air and joining into a massive orb in the sky.

"Riku!" Hinata's voice caught his attention as she screamed out to him over the howling winds.

Riku could barely make out her red hair through the storm but rushed over to her. As he reached her he grabbed onto her shoulders.

"What's going on?" Hinata asked him with a panicked voice. "Where's Kairi?!"

"Everything's going to be fine!" He yelled over the storm. "We need to get to the paopu tree!"

"What!? No!" She cried, "We need to get to cover!"

"You need to trust me!" He told her, tightly grasping her hand in his. "Don't let go! No matter what happens!" He waited for her to nod in agreement before turning and pulling her with him towards the paopu tree.

Hinata's stomach twisted as she followed Riku. As they reached the wooden bridge that led to the tree, Hinata abruptly stopped with a frightened yelp. All around them black creatures formed out of the ground. Their bodies were small and round with two antennas sticking out of their heads. They would have seemed harmless if it weren't for the sharp claws at the ends of their hands and feet. They stared at Riku and Hinata with glowing yellow eyes, twitching sporadically as if they weren't in complete control of their movement.

"W-what are those things?" Hinata asked in fright.

"Just keep moving," Riku tugged on her hand, pulling her through the ever growing horde of creatures.

Hinata stayed close behind him, noticing the creatures stepping aside and allowing them through without making a single move against them. They simply stared at them as if waiting for the opportune moment to strike. As they reached the paopu tree, Riku slowed to a stop at the edge of the sandy cliff and silently looked out at the chaos around them. Hinata stood beside him, not nearly as calm. She was near a complete breakdown as she watched the place she called home for the last year being torn apart all around her.

"Where's Kairi?!" Sora's voice caught Hinata's attention. She looked behind her to see Sora standing at the end of the bridge as he stared right at her with terror in his eyes. "I thought she was with you!" He yelled.

"She…" Hinata began to speak, but was interrupted by Riku.

"The door has opened…" Riku calmly replied.

"What?" Hinata asked, looking over at him with widened eyes.

Ignoring Hinata, Riku turned around to speak to Sora, "The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world!"

"What are you talking about?!" Sora yelled back with exasperation in his voice. "We have to find Kairi!"

"Kairi's coming with us!" Riku assured him, making Sora fall silent. He looked up at the giant orb in the sky above them with an unsettling smile on his face. "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance; we can't let fear stop us!" He grinned and yelled, "I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

Chills ran through Hinata from his final words as she suddenly had the urge to let go of his hand and run as far away from him as she could. She swallowed hard and watched as Riku outstretched his hand towards Sora.

Sora eyed him uneasily, "Riku…"

As Sora spoke, a dark mass appeared out of the ground, rippling around their feet like a thick pool of ink. Dark hues of blues and purples swirled up towards them in a mist, carrying a foul stench that made Hinata feel sick to her stomach. Holding back a gag, she tried to run away from the darkness, but the thick pool at her feet had her glued in place. With widened eyes she looked at Sora, seeing him also desperately trying to wriggle out of its grasp. Then out of the blackness, sticky sludge began crawling up their bodies, completely encapsulating them in the darkness.

Hinata's breath became shallow as she tried to keep back the panic rising inside of her. She tightly closed her eyes and gripped Riku's hand in hers as she felt the darkness completely surround her. The moment she was covered she held her breath; waiting in anticipation of what would happen next. A sharp pain pierced through her mind, but then suddenly there was nothing. No stormy winds whistling through her ears, nor the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the beach. Everything was still and silent.

Hinata slowly opened one of her eyes, not sure what to expect. She was only met with a dense darkness and the inescapable feeling of emptiness. No matter where she looked, there was nothing and no one to see. A sense of dread filled her being as she realized that she was completely alone. She uncomfortably wrapped her arms around herself.

"H-hello?" She called out with a weak voice, even though she knew deep down that no one would answer. "Sora, Riku! Are you there?" Her voice echoed through the darkness with no response. She took a shaking breath as tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm alone…" She softly cried to herself.

"No you're not," A small girl's voice spoke behind her.

Hinata gasped and turned around, recognizing the voice. As she turned she immediately had to shield her eyes from a sudden ray of sunlight shining in her eyes. The intensity of the light made Hinata wince and close her eyes. The inescapable sweet scent of flowers filled her senses and the warmth of the sunlight on her skin brought a new sense of comfort to her. Hinata opened her eyes and found that she was suddenly standing in the middle of a garden. She stood on a stone paved path, surrounded by colorful flower beds swaying softly from the breeze. Hinata looked at everything with confusion, unsure of how she had gotten there.

"Are you all right, Hina?" The same small voice called out to her.

Hinata looked in front of her to see a short red headed girl standing in front of her. She stared up at Hinata with large blue eyes and a sweet smile on her face. Her tiny hands were grasped around the stems of a handful of daisies that matched her white dress. Hinata knelt down the young girl's level and stared at her.

"Who are you?" Hinata asked her.

The girl's eyes widened and Hinata could see a flash of hurt go across her features. "You… don't remember me?"

Hinata opened her mouth and quickly closed it again. She looked the girl over and thought about it for a moment. "…Aiko?" She slowly spoke.

A bright smile appeared on Aiko's face. "Uh-huh!" She chimed with a small giggle. She was about to say more but let out a startled gasp when Hinata suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

"You're safe," Hinata let out a relieved breath as she held her sister in her arms. "I was so worried." She pulled away enough to see her tiny sister's face. "Are you alright? Is mom with you? What happened to…?"

Aiko slightly frowned as Hinata spoke to her. "Hina…" She interrupted.

"What?" Hinata asked.

"Why did you follow the darkness?" She asked her.

Hinata arched an eyebrow at her, "Uh, what? What are you talking about?" When Aiko didn't answer her, Hinata suddenly realized. "This isn't real, is it?" She looked around at the garden and surmised. "I'm dreaming." Releasing Aiko, she stood up and asked. "Then… where am I in real life then?"

As if in response to her question, a throbbing sensation gradually grew in her head. It started softly, almost feeling akin to a bout of severe lightheadedness; yet within seconds it became incredibly painful. Hinata stumbled back a couple steps from the intensity of the ache and grasped her head in her hands. She heard Aiko ask her what was wrong but her voice seemed to be distant as if it were fading away. Hinata let out a pained cry and fell to her knees, curling up on the ground as the world around her faded away.

Her surroundings once again began to change. A soft mist of water sprayed on her skin and the ground beneath her was hard and cold; yet around her hand she felt familiar warmth. One by one her muscles began to ache as her mind brought her back to reality.

Ever so slowly, she opened her heavy eyes. Her vision was blurry for a moment and took a moment to focus. Blinking again, she saw that she was surrounded by waterfalls. She didn't think much of it at first, until she stared at them for a few seconds and realized that the water was somehow flowing upwards. Not knowing what to make of the strange phenomenon, she averted her gaze to a set of floating rock platforms scattered in front of her that led out of the water chasm she found herself in and up towards an enormous castle towering in the distance. From where Hinata lay she couldn't make out many details of the building, since it was shrouded in a mist. She laid her head back down on the ground and stared up at the sky of orange and magenta hues. Nothing was familiar to her.

Her head was still throbbing, making it hard for her to think clearly. She winced from the pain and momentarily closed her eyes, as if hoping that when she reopened them she would find herself back at home realizing she had only had a nightmare. She felt a slight squeeze on her hand that caused her to look over. To her surprise she saw Riku beside her. He lay there still unconscious and their hands were still clasped.

Hinata couldn't help but smile seeing him there and let out a small breath of relief that she wasn't completely alone. Despite the aches in her body, she moved her arms and pushed herself to sit up. She felt incredibly lightheaded as she sat up, but moved slowly as to not cause herself to pass out again. Looking over at Riku, she gently squeezed his hand in an attempt to wake him.

"Riku…" She said his name with a weak almost hoarse voice. Clearing her throat, she tried again, "Riku, wake up."

His eyes closed a bit tighter as Hinata's voice awoke him. He slowly fluttered his eyes open, seeing Hinata beside him. Without waiting for his body to fully awaken, he released Hinata's hand and pushed himself to stand; stumbling a bit once he was on his feet. Hinata silently watched him as he looked around.

"Where are we?" He asked her. Cupping his hands around his mouth he yelled out, "Sora! Kairi!"

"They aren't here," Hinata softly told him, making him look over at her. "I think it's just us."

Riku frowned with a look of disappointment, but continued to scan the area in hope of catching sight of them. Hinata still sat on the ground, her hands tightly clasped in her lap. She watched as Riku looked around and the longer she stared at him the more questions flooded her mind.

"What happened?" She finally spoke up, getting his attention.

He turned around and saw her staring up at him. Her eyes seemed glazed over and lost. Letting out a breath, he told her. "I don't know."

"You don't?" She asked. "But with everything you were saying at the island…"

"I don't know where that came from," He assured her.

Hinata looked away from him and gazed down at her hands. After a couple seconds she asked, "You said something about the door opening. Kairi said the same thing."

"She did?" He asked.

She nodded, "Yeah… She jumped out of our bedroom window saying something about someone opening the door." When Riku didn't reply she looked up at him. "And then when Sora found us during the storm you said the door had opened… How did you know about the door and what is it?"

Riku averted his gaze from her questioning eyes and swallowed hard. "I have no idea." Shaking his head, he forced himself to look back at her. "I just had a feeling that we needed to go through the darkness to get off the island and, well…" He motioned his arms around them. "It obviously worked."

Hinata frowned . "But, after all that stuff you said, you were so calm… You had to know something."

"I told you," He abruptly cut her off. "I'm just as lost as you are about everything. I don't know where those words came from. Kairi had the same thing happen to her from what it sounds like."

She slightly shook her head and mumbled, "You aren't telling me something." She let out an exasperated breath, "This isn't really the time to be keeping secrets, Riku. We're on a completely unknown world without anyone else and we have no idea what happened to the island." Tears stung her eyes as she began to vent, "All we wanted to do was take a raft, just the four of us; but then that crazy storm happened and… who knows who made it out of that! We don't know where Sora and Kairi even are; let alone if they're safe or even alive. With the way that orb thing was taking chunks of the island and destroying homes, it's pretty safe to say that people died from that! And what about their families? It was already bad enough…"

"Hinata!" Riku yelled her name, making her immediately fall silent. She gasped and looked up at him, seeing his back turned to her with his hands clenched into fists. He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look," He turned around and knelt down to her level. "I know this seems bad. Leaving the island didn't turn out like any of us had planned and a lot of crazy stuff happened all at once. I can't explain what happened, but…" He reached forward and placed his hand over hers. "We're here, together and alive on another world. In the end we got what we were wanting."

"But not like this," She interjected.

"I know," He agreed, "But it's the way it happened, so we should make the best of it."

Hinata took a sharp breath and looked down at his hand over hers. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her gut but she ignored it and nodded.

"We'll find Sora and Kairi." He told her. "There was a way off the island, there has to be a way off this world too and then we can go look for them."

She was silent for a moment before asking. "What happened on the island after I left?" When Riku didn't immediately reply, she clarified. "You wanted to stay behind with the raft and told me to go home for the night." She looked up at him "What happened after I left?"

He stared back at her in silence, examining the concerned look in her eyes. Letting out a sigh, he asked. "Why does it matter?"

"I just, I want to know if you had anything to do with what happened." She admitted.

"You think I did?" He asked.

She opened her mouth but then closed it, not sure what to say. Instead she looked away from him and squeezed his hand.

"This isn't the time to be talking about this." He told her standing up. Pulling on her hand, he helped her to her feet. "We need to find out where we are." He looked up at the castle far in the distance. "And I think that castle is our best bet at finding out."


	13. Help Me Help You

Chapter 13

Hinata stared out at the water that stood between them and the towering castle in the distance. Her and Riku had worked together to climb up the scattered rock platforms leading out of the water chasm they had awoken in and they reached a crumbled stone bridge. From where they stood, they could see a massive body of water surrounding them from every side.

"Well now what do we do?" Riku asked somewhat breathlessly. He looked around at their surroundings and motioned to the water. "We can't swim that far to the castle."

Hinata wordlessly nodded. She hadn't said much to Riku since they began working their way out of the chasm. "There has to be a way." She quietly replied. Stepping forward, she went right up to the edge of the broken bridge they found themselves on and looked over the edge. She was abruptly pulled back, when Riku grabbed the inside of her arm and tugged her towards him.

"Look," He told her with his eyes fixated on the castle.

Following his gaze, Hinata saw a bright magenta light flash brilliantly. The intensity made both of them shield their eyes and when they reopened them they were surprised to see a floating metal platform awaiting them. It was gold in color with the build of an ornamental aviary. A dark design was etched in the gold, going up the railings leading to the very top where the same light from earlier was sparking.

Riku released his hold on Hinata's arm and apprehensively walked towards the platform. He stepped onto it and looked back at Hinata, holding out his hand for her to take. She hesitantly walked forward and took his hand, allowing him to help her up. They moment both of them were aboard, the platform began to move with sturdy ease towards the castle.

"Cool," Riku said under his breath.

He walked over to the edge of the platform and grabbed onto the railing. The water beneath them perfectly reflected them as they floated over it. With a smirk on his face he glanced back at Hinata, seeing her standing uncomfortably with her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

A slight frown appeared on his face and he walked over to her. "Hey," He softly told her. "Stop thinking about it. You can't change anything about what happened." He placed his hands over hers.

Hinata gradually relaxed her hands, allowing Riku to hold them. She let out a breath and nodded. "Yeah I know… I just can't wrap my mind around everything."

"I get it," He assured her. "But there isn't anything we can do about it. What's important is that we're together and safe." When Hinata looked away, he asked, "Right?"

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yeah," She looked down at their clasped hands and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for the way I was acting earlier, questioning and accusing you. I wasn't thinking straight." She raised her gaze to meet his. "We're on a completely different world and we need to stick together." Squeezing his hands, she admitted. "I need to trust you, especially right now."

A small smile appeared on his face and he rubbed his thumb along her wrist. "Thanks," He simply replied.

Her cheeks warmed and she let out a breathy laugh. They were silent for a moment, before she changed the subject, "So… we're on a new world." The hint of a smirk teased the corners of her mouth.

A grin crept onto Riku's face and he looked around. "I know, it's crazy."

"Is it everything you hoped it would be?" She asked.

He chuckled, "I don't know. It's a little too early to tell. I'm interested to find out what's at that castle." He motioned his head towards the approaching fortress.

Hinata glanced behind her, seeing that the platform was almost nearing a stop in front of the castle. She pulled back one of her hands from Riku so she could completely turn around. Within seconds the platform slowed to a complete halt in front of a stone courtyard. As they stepped off their transportation they noticed a glass crystal standing on a pedestal. A sparking blue light appeared to be trapped in the center of the crystal.

"I wonder what this does," Hinata pondered aloud as she placed her hand on the crystal. The moment her hand made contact, the platform they had arrived on disappeared.

"That must call our ride." Riku surmised before turning around to examine the rest of their new surroundings.

Two pathways were before them. One leading to the right towards a black intricately designed gate and the other leading to giant double stone doors.

Riku pointed towards the double doors and told Hinata. "I say we go that way. Looks like a way into the castle."

Hinata nodded and walked forward with him. She looked up at the castle towering above them. It seemed to be a mishmash of styles as if different people added various elements to the building over time. It had parts that were elegant and regal; but they were overshadowed by garish copper pipes and machinery protruding awkwardly from random places with smoke billowing out the tops.

"This world is definitely strange." She muttered to Riku as they walked.

"Yeah, something must have happened here." He replied.

They slowed to a stop in front of the double doors and gazed up at them. Gold designs were etched into the stone creating a heart made of thorns.

"Welcoming…" Hinata said under her breath, making Riku chuckle in response.

There were no knobs or handles visible, so they resided to placing their hands along the left door and pushing against it. It proved to be heavier than they expected, taking all of their strength to finally get it to budge. A loud scraping sound filled their ears as it moved, making them cringe; but they continued pushing until the entrance was wide enough to allow them passage.

As they entered they found that it was much darker than outside, making their eyes take a moment to adjust. A large chandelier was the first thing their eyes could make out. It hung from the ceiling in the center of the vast round room. It was blue and gold in design with a single crystal hanging from the center, desperately shining its tiny light around the otherwise dark room. Along the walls tall columns went from the floor to a balcony floor that was just above the chandelier.

Hinata and Riku glanced over at each other, both of them feeling uneasy as they hesitantly walked further into the room. The ground beneath them was a scuffed blue stone, seeming as if it had seen better days. In front of them were two sets of stairs leading to a second floor where they saw a doorway finely decorated with golds and purples. Hinata looked at the doorway and began to move towards it, but was suddenly stopped when Riku grabbed her hand and yanked her back. She gasped from his brashness as he pulled her behind him and stood in front of her protectively.

"What…?" She began to ask with a huff.

"Someone's in here with us," He quickly whispered to her with his eyes fixated on the second level.

Hinata followed his gaze and indeed saw a dark figure standing in front of a pair of doors on the next floor up, staring at them. The figure appeared to be a woman. She was tall and slender, wearing dark robes that fell to the floor, pooling around her. Two black horns protruded from her head, clashing with her pale greenish skin. She tapped her long fingernails on a green glass orb that was embedded in the brown staff she held.

"Well, well, well," She spoke up in a slithering voice. "It seems I have visitors."

"Who are you?" Riku asked with as much intimidation in his voice as he could muster.

The woman raised one of her already high eyebrows and began walking towards a set of stairs. "I could ask you the same question." She replied as she gracefully descended to their floor. "You are, after all, the ones intruding on my home."

"Where are we?" Hinata spoke up, quickly being hushed by Riku.

"Why Hollow Bastion, of course." She answered with a small smile; but it only appeared as unsettling. "And where might you two be from?" When neither of them answered, she added. "You needn't be frightened, dears. I can only provide help if you allow it."

Riku frowned but replied, "Our home is gone and we just sort of ended up here."

"That must mean you require a place to stay," She assumed from his words. When Riku nodded, she told them. "You are welcomed to take refuge here; I need only know your names."

Riku glanced back at Hinata nervously and when she shortly nodded, he answered. "I'm Riku and this is Hinata."

A wicked smile appeared on her face and she sprawled her bony hand over her heart before bowing slightly. "And my name is Maleficent." As she stood back up straight she raised her staff and told them. "Now allow me to show you to your new room."

Before either Riku or Hinata could ask Maleficent what she was doing, she hit her staff on the ground, making a sharp clang echo through the room. From where the staff hit a green mist oozed out of it and quickly surrounded them. As the mist reached her nose, Hinata gagged from the smell; reminding her of the same scent that was at the island when the darkness had swallowed them up. She glanced over at Riku beside her, but he didn't seem to be at all affected by the stench.

Within seconds the mist evaporated and they found themselves in a dim hall. Black torches lit with green flames lined the walls of the hall, but barely provided any sufficient light. Hinata and Riku spun in place, trying to figure out where they had appeared and how they had gotten there. Maleficent didn't pay mind to their astonishment and instead stepped forward towards a single door and pulled out a black key from her sleeve. Sticking the key in the lock of the golden knob she closed her eyes and muttered a few words under her breath so quietly that Riku and Hinata couldn't understand what she was saying. Then she turned the key and opened the door to reveal a cozy bedroom.

She moved out of the way to allow Riku and Hinata to enter the room. They stepped inside and looked around. It was mostly bare. A queen sized bed was positioned against the wall in the center of the room with a bedside table on either side that had a vase of purple flowers on the centers of each tabletop. To the right was a large open bathroom with stone tiled floor and all the appliances polished and situated.

Hinata turned towards Maleficent with a wary and confused look on her face. "Were you expecting us?"

"Quite the contrary," She told her, "I have not had company here in years." She lifted her hand nonchalantly and told her, "This was just the result of a little magic."

"Magic?" Riku asked. "Is that how you transported us from that other room?"

Maleficent let out an almost forced laugh, "Oh my, you both certainly have many questions." Clearing her throat, she stepped backwards to be out of the room and grabbed the doorknob. "Now, I must be off for a short while. I must speak with the other residents to discuss the arrangements of you living here." She noticed the worried glance Riku and Hinata exchanged before she quickly shut the door and locked it from the outside. "Stay here until I return." She told them through the door.

Placing the key back in her sleeve, she turned around and strode away. As she left she could hear the doorknob rattling as they desperately tried to get it open.

"Hey!" Riku's voice yelled through the door as he banged on the wood with his fist. "I thought you said you only needed our names?"

"Do not worry my dears," Maleficent called back, "It is only for your own safety."

With that, she raised her staff once again and struck it to the ground, instantly vanishing in a cloud of mist. She reappeared in another room entirely on the other end of the castle. It was almost completely black in the room with only a small amount of light coming from a stone pedestal in the center of the area that had a glowing image of Riku and Hinata still attempting to get out of the bedroom Maleficent had locked them in.

Around the pedestal stood four figures, each bickering and arguing over the two new guests that had recently arrived. Maleficent stood at the back of the room, silently listening to each of them without saying a word. Her eyes first drifted to a man, composed completely out of blue flames. He spoke with constant sarcasm and grand gestures to a large woman that appeared to be more octopus than human. Her big red lips were pursed from the man's words and she waved him off with her own sultry voice. Maleficent shook her head at their argument and averted her gaze to two others that bickered amongst themselves on the other side of the pedestal. A vizier proudly stood, tightly holding the serpent staff in his hands as he disagreed with his comrade. The other man across from him pointed a metal hook intimidatingly at the vizier with a thick accent in his voice.

Letting out an exasperated breath, Maleficent raised her staff and slammed it to the ground. "Enough!" She called out.

The room instantly fell silent as everyone turned their attention to Maleficent.

Regaining her composure, Maleficent calmly walked forward to join them. "Honestly, what do you all hope to accomplish by this constant bickering?"

The man made of fire crossed his arms and drummed his slender fingers as he watched Maleficent approach the pedestal. When she seemed to be situated, he asked, "Why are you making nice with those runts?"

"I assure you Lord Hades," Maleficent answered him, "I have things under control."

"Who cares if the poor souls lost their home?" The octopus woman spoke up, "Turn them into Heartless! That will settle things quick enough."

The others in the room murmured in agreement while Maleficent only sighed in response. She waited for them to once again quiet down before explaining. "That boy has the seeds of darkness in him. He could prove quite useful."

"And how can you be sure?" Hades asked her unconvinced.

"I sensed it the moment I saw him." She replied with a wicked smirk. "Something dark and powerful is in that boy."

"What about that brat's friend?" The man with a hook probingly pointed towards Hinata's image. "What of her?"

Maleficent tapped her fingernails along the orb on her staff before answering, "She could pose a problem if we do not handle this situation with the upmost caution. That boy is protective of her."

"That girl seems like more trouble than she's worth." The vizier commented with a sneer, "Why worry about her? With or without her, surely we can influence that boy's darkness."

Closing her eyes in frustration, Maleficent countered, "If we rid ourselves of her too hastily, that may very well cause the boy to turn against us. We need him on our side if he is to prove useful. With the right manipulation and timing that girl will be the one to push him in the wrong direction. Then he will rid of her for us."

"And how exactly are you planning on that happening?" Hades asked, "Doesn't seem like that kid trusts you."

A mischievous smile spread across Maleficent's face, "All in good time."

…

Back in the room, Riku continued banging and pulling on the door; desperately trying to break it down. Hinata, however, resigned to looking out the single square window that overlooked Hollow Bastion outside.

Riku gave one last hit to the door before finally running out of energy. He leaned his back against the door and slid to the ground defeated. "Well this is great…" He complained under his breath.

Hinata looked away from the window to Riku and said. "Just our luck to end up on a new world with a witch."

He looked up at her with a frown, but seeing the small smile on her face, he slowly smiled back.

She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. "What did we get ourselves into?"

Riku shook his head, "I don't even know." Letting out a bitter laugh, he added, "Some adventure this is turning out to be."

"Well…" Hinata tried to be hopeful, "You never know; this might turn out alright. We don't know what Maleficent wants us for…" A frown gradually grew on her face as she thought about it and she let out a slight groan while bringing her hands to her face. "I'm getting really bad flashbacks to all those old fairytales we had to read back at school."

Riku looked at her, "Which ones?"

"All of them," She replied as she fell back on the bed, "Hansel and Gretel comes to mind. Two innocent kids meet an evil witch that ends up wanting to eat them? Remind you of anyone?"

A snort of laughter escaped Riku, "I doubt she wants to eat us. She hasn't even fed us anything."

"You laugh now, but just wait…" Hinata told him in return, unable to keep herself from letting out a small laugh. "We're going to be witch stew."

Riku scoffed and suggested, "Well maybe she isn't actually evil. You can't just assume that about people."

Hinata sat up and gave him a look. "Yes, because most decent people live in creepy castles walking around with dark robes and horns on their head… And have unnaturally green skin… Do you think…?"

"Will you stop?" He interrupted her with a laugh. "Like it or not we're in a serious situation."

"Oh trust me, I know." She sighed. "Just trying to lighten the mood, I guess. I need to do something to keep my mind off of everything going on… Who knows how long she's going to keep us locked up in here?"

Riku hit his head against the door, "Yeah…"

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both considering what they were going to do about their predicament. Their thoughts were interrupted when the door knob began rattling. Riku sprang up from his seat and backed up a few steps as the door unlocked. Hinata stood from the bed and walked over to be beside Riku as Maleficent opened the door. As she entered the room, Riku and Hinata stepped back, involuntarily tensing.

"What do you want?" Riku asked with a glare.

Maleficent stopped short and smirked, "My, my, that is quite a tone for the person providing you refuge."

"Locking us up the moment we get here doesn't really give us any reason to trust you." Hinata told her with the same wariness in her voice as Riku.

Maleficent placed her hand to her face with fake surprise. "Locked you up? I'm afraid we've had a slight misunderstanding. I only kept you in here for your own protection."

"I seriously doubt that," Riku replied.

Waving her hand dismissively, Maleficent told them, "Believe what you will. As you could see when you first arrived, this world is in shambles; a mere husk of its former glory. Without proper supervision it could prove quite dangerous for both of you."

"We can take care of ourselves." Riku told her.

"As I am sure you can, yet without suitable weapons and protection I don't believe either of you would get very far." She replied. Then before either of them could respond, she informed them. "I just finished speaking with the other residents about both of you living here. If you would both follow me, we have much to discuss."

She moved away from the doorway to allow Riku and Hinata to exit the room. Riku glanced back at Hinata before walking forward. Hinata followed close behind, making sure not to glance at Maleficent as she passed her. Maleficent closed the door behind them and then gracefully walked pass the teens to lead the way through the dimly lit hall. The eerie green flames from the torches flickered, casting a shadowy light along their path. A dark maroon rug lined the center of the hall, leading down the long seemingly endless corridors. Hinata looked over at the massive paintings hanging along the walls, but couldn't make out the details of the pieces as shadows concealed them. The entire place made Hinata shiver and she reached over to Riku's hand, tightly gripping it in hers.

Riku felt Hinata's shaking hand wrap around his own and he glanced over at her. It was obvious that she was tense and he couldn't deny he felt the same. He looked back at Maleficent walking a few feet ahead of them. She surprisingly didn't check behind her to make sure they were following, as if she knew there was nowhere for them to go. Taking in a breath, Riku reassuringly squeezed Hinata's hand and ran his thumb comfortingly along her wrist.

The notion partially calmed Hinata's nerves and she lightly cleared her throat before speaking up to their guide, "Why don't you teleport us there like before?"

Maleficent let out the faintest sigh from her question but quickly covered it up and replied. "Doing such things takes energy and must be used sparingly. Besides," She glanced over her shoulder at them. "I'm sure you two could use the exercise."

Hinata wordlessly nodded at her reply, not sure how to respond. They continued to walk in silence until Maleficent turned a corner and revealed a dining hall. Riku and Hinata stopped short when they saw the room, their mouths falling agape. It was a complete contrast to the dreariness they had seen of the castle thus far. Bright crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The light emanating from them was so vibrant; the room almost seemed to glimmer. The walls were painted gold, and brown columns rose from the floor to the ceiling with dark red fabric cascading between them. In the center of the room was a long polished mahogany table filled from one end to the other with substantial amounts of delectable delicacies.

"I thought we could discuss over a meal," Maleficent told them as she walked further into the banquet hall. "You must be hungry."

Taking one look at the feast before them, Hinata turned her attention to Riku and gave him a look while mouthing the words, 'Hansel and Gretel'.

Riku rolled his eyes with a slight smirk before leading forward to follow Maleficent into the room. They approached the table and were instantly overwhelmed by the delicious smells and flavors of the various foods wafting around them. Despite their distrust and uneasiness, Riku and Hinata couldn't stop their mouths from watering.

As Maleficent reached the head of the table beside a tall black chair, Riku looked over at her and asked. "Why are you being so nice to us? What's the catch?"

Maleficent let out a small chuckle, "My, jumping to conclusions, aren't we? I merely wanted to celebrate my new guests."

"Yeah, and I'm sure the 'discussion' we're about to have has nothing to do with it." Hinata mumbled under her breath only loud enough for Riku to hear her. "We better make sure she doesn't have a big boiling pot waiting for us somewhere."

Riku nudged her with his shoulder and gave her a warning look; but she only shrugged in response, trying to appear at ease when in reality she was terrified. They slowly approached the two seats that were situated on either side of the table by Maleficent's chair at the head of it. Riku pulled out Hinata's seat before heading over to his own. She gave him a small uneasy smile of thanks as she sat down on the surprisingly comfortable chair. There was an awkward silence that stilled through the air as all three of them sat wordlessly, staring at the scrumptious feast before them.

"Well, eat up," Maleficent told them.

With a snap of her fingers, the ceramic plates before them were instantly filled with food; small bite sized samples of everything before them. Hinata looked at the tantalizing meal but couldn't shake the twisted feeling in her gut. She glanced up at Riku seeing him pick up a strange turquoise fruit and examine it warily.

Maleficent let out a laugh, "You needn't be suspicious." She assured them. "I wouldn't dare bring any harm to either of you. Lest of all through a meal."

Riku looked at Hinata and shrugged, finally biting into the fruit and beginning to eat. Hinata tried to find the food in front of her appetizing, yet the more she looked at it the more unappealing it appeared.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention to Maleficent, who was also refraining from eating anything. "What were you wanting to talk to us about?"

"They can wait until after you both finish..." She began to reply.

"I'm not that hungry," Hinata interrupted. "But I am very interested to hear what you want us to do for you." She felt the look Riku gave her from her abrupt forwardness, but she ignored it.

"What makes you believe I want something from either of you?" Maleficent asked.

"You accepted us into your home without knowing a thing about us and prepared a giant banquet for us after talking with… well I'm not sure who; but my gut says you're trying to bribe us into doing something."

A wicked smile grew on Maleficent's face and she replied, "You are quite the cunning one, aren't you? I'll have to keep that in mind." Her smile only grew when she noticed Hinata's face slightly pale from her words; her new found confidence swiftly draining. "But yes, I will confess there is something both of you can do for me and I believe you'll agree quite readily."

"What makes you think that?" Riku spoke up.

"Because doing so will aid in reuniting with your friends," Maleficent replied. "Sora and Kairi I believe their names are." She noticed both their eyes widen.

"How do you know about them?" Hinata asked as she abruptly stood from the table. "Are they here?"

"Oh my, no, no." Maleficent waved her off. "I do, however, have the means to find them, if…"

"We do what you want." Riku finished her sentence. He looked over at Hinata as she sat back down defeated. They both knew Maleficent had them exactly where she wanted them. Riku frowned and let out a breath as he looked back at Maleficent, "What do you want us to do?"

Maleficent raised her free hand and circled it around the green orb that was embedded at the top of her staff. The inside of the glass seemed to swirl like a storm cloud before showing the image of a young girl. The girl lay on a thick tree branch, humming a sweet tune to herself while braiding white daisies together to create a crown. Her hair was a golden yellow with a simple black bow tied right behind her ears. A fluffy blue dress fell to her knees, cascading off the side of the tree branch she lay on.

"I need you to retrieve this young maiden, Alice." Maleficent informed them. "She recently ran away to an enchanted world called, Wonderland."

Hinata looked at the image of Alice and then up at Maleficent. "How did she get there? Is it that easy to leave this world to get to another one?"

Maleficent inhaled deeply, keeping tabs on her ever slimming patience. Straining a smile, she replied. "Indeed it is. There are many ways to travel from one world to the next."

"Why did she run away?" Hinata asked as she looked back at Alice.

"Why does any child run away?" Maleficent asked, poorly hiding the annoyance growing in her voice. "Does their need to be a reason?" She inhaled deeply before adding, "What is important is that she is returned to her home. Wonderland is no place for stray children."

"Why do you need us to do it?" Riku asked, "Why note get her yourself?"

"Both of us have things we need. You find Alice and in return I will find your friends." Maleficent explained before standing from her seat, "But alas, if you do not want my help, I suppose there is nothing to be done."

"Wait," Riku raised his hand towards her to stop her. "Just… let us talk it over."

Maleficent slightly nodded, "Why of course. I will await your answer." She gracefully walked away, but just far enough where she could still overhear their conversation.

Waiting until she stopped walking, Riku looked at Hinata and told her, "I think we should do it."

"Are you crazy?" Hinata asked in a hushed voice. "You seriously think we can trust her?"

"Of course not," He replied, "But going to this Wonderland place means we are getting to another world. Even if she doesn't hold up her part of the deal we'll still be closer to finding Sora and Kairi than if we just stayed here."

Hinata thought about it for a moment before shaking her head, "I don't know, something about her story doesn't sound right. Why would Alice run away? And how could a little girl manage to get to another world all by herself?"

"We did it," He reminded her. "Even if that crazy storm didn't happen we would've used the raft. Maybe she just wanted to explore like we did."

"And you're alright with bringing her back?" Hinata asked, "To a place like this?"

He shrugged, "If it means getting off this world and possibly finding our friends, then yeah."

Hinata frowned from his response and mulled it over for a moment. "I don't know, Riku…"

"Look, just trust me," He told her.

She looked up and met his gaze. Staring at him for a few seconds, she resigned, "Alright, I'll trust you."

Riku gave her a smile before looking up at Maleficent. "Fine," He called out to her. "We'll do it."

Maleficent couldn't hide the grin on her face as she replied, "I cannot tell you how delighted I am to hear that."

Hinata gritted her teeth from the pleased tone in Maleficent's voice and stood from her seat. Letting out a breath, she turned around to face their host, and asked, "When do we leave?"

Maleficent walked over to the teens and lifted her staff. "I should think this very moment would suffice."

"Right now?" Riku asked.

His question was left unanswered as Maleficent's staff struck the ground and they were instantly surrounded by the green mist. Hinata coughed from the stench once again before realizing they were in a completely new room. She looked around at their surroundings. They appeared to be in a hangar bay of sorts. The floor, wall, and ceiling were all made of metal, echoing the faintest sound through the vast area. Around them were various vessels; each created with strange materials of a rainbow of colors.

Riku turned in place, in awe. He didn't know what he was looking at exactly but he loved it. He looked over at Hinata with a sense of wonderment in his eyes and grinned at her. Hinata noticed his look and slightly smile back, not feeling the same amount of reverence as him. Maleficent got their attention by clearing her throat. The teens turned towards her and saw her standing in front of a particular vessel. It wasn't as vibrant as the other ships, but instead was rather modern in appearance. Mostly white with black details lining two triangular wings along the sides and four seemingly powerful engines attached to the back.

"This is the ship that will provide you transportation." She informed them while placing her hand over a silver button along the side.

With a mechanical whir a door slid open, allowing them to enter the ship.

Riku quickly went inside and asked, "What is this thing?"

"This is called a gummi ship." Maleficent told him. "The navigation is already set for Wonderland, I suggest you make haste." She looked right at Hinata, who was still looking around the hangar.

"Are we still in the castle?" Hinata asked her. "This doesn't look anything like what we've seen so far."

Maleficent pursed her lips a bit, anxious to get them to leave. With a small nod she replied. "Yes, Hollow Bastion is vast in size. There are many things you have yet to see. Now if you please, you have a mission to complete." She motioned her arm towards the entrance of the ship.

Hinata strained a smile and entered the ship, per Maleficent's wishes. The moment she was aboard the door shut behind her. Hinata quickly turned towards the suddenly shut door with a jolt; but letting out a sigh, she turned back around. She glanced around at the small living space she found herself in. Small beds were situated on either side of the rectangular area, leaving only a few feet of walking room between them. In front of the head of one of the beds was a round metal table bolted to the floor beside two chairs and a small refrigerator. Behind the tiny dining area was a thin door that Hinata assumed led to a restroom of sorts.

"Hinata," Riku's voice called from the next room. "Come see this!"

A small smile appeared on Hinata's face as she walked towards an open doorway that was beside the restroom. Going through it she saw a large glass windshield looking out at the hangar bay around them. In front of the glass was a full spread of different buttons, switches, and screens; many of them flashing different colors and letting out random mechanical beeps.

Riku sat in one of the two black swivel chairs and looked over the multitude before him with intrigue. "What type of ship is this?" He asked.

Hinata stepped forward and sat in the chair beside him. "I think this is the one of those spaceships I used to tell you about."

He looked over at her with a smirk. "That would be cool."

She turned her head towards him and smiled back shyly. Their moment was interrupted as the ship began to rumble. Both of them grabbed the edge of the console in front of them, trying to maintain their balance as they frantically looked around. The main center screen on the control board lit up with a spherical image of what appeared to be a planet.

Then a mechanical female voice came through the speakers. "This ship is now departing for... Wonderland. Please remain seated during takeoff."

Hinata let out a small chuckle, "I guess even spaceships have GPS."

Riku smirked in response, but a majority of his attention was taken by the ship as its engines roared to life. Out the windshield they could see the metal wall right in front of them creak open right down the middle, allowing the light from outside to pour into the hangar bay. The ship shook more violently as it lifted off the ground and slowly flew towards the opening doors. Once clearing the exit of the hangar bay, the ship began to speed up as it rocketed towards the sky.

As it rose in altitude the intercom of the ship spoke once again, "Artificial gravity engaged."

The moment the words came through the speakers, the rattling of the ship instantly ceased and everything was calm. They watched with wordless wonder as the ship flew through the thick clouds and exited the atmosphere. Within minutes they were surrounded by stars as far as they could see.

Hinata stared out at the space around them, a childlike gleam in her eyes. All the anxiety of the day instantly vanished in her wonderment. "W-We're actually in space…" She finally spoke looking over at Riku. "This is actually happening, right? Like this hasn't been one crazy dream?"

Riku breathily laughed and shook his head in near disbelief. Without tearing his eyes away from the sight before them, he replied. "I'm trying to figure that out myself."

The peaceful scene before them stayed there for a few more seconds before the shimmering stars turned into streaks of white as the ship's engines went to full speed. Hinata leaned back in her seat with a sigh once the beautiful sight was gone.

She glanced over at Riku, who was still looking out the windshield despite it showing nothing more than streaks of white against a black backdrop. "So today's been a day…" She spoke up to him.

He smirked in response and his eyes down casted towards the control board. "Yeah," He eventually replied. "It's sort of been a blur."

"Tell me about it," Hinata softly scoffed. They fell back to silence for a few minutes and the tension in the air gradually began to grow as their thoughts drifted to the island. Clearing her throat, Hinata tried to create conversation. "So, how long until we reach Wonderland?"

The intercom of the ship responded. "You destination will be reached in… five hours."

"Great," Hinata sighed. "Thanks, uh, computer."

"My pleasure," The intercom replied. Riku looked over the control board and pressed a blue button. Upon pressing it the intercom spoke up once again, "Intercom Disabled."

"That should shut it up," He mumbled under his breath. "Don't need a computer overhearing us talk."

Hinata snickered before asking, "How did you know that button would do that?"

He shrugged, "It had a label of a megaphone under it, so I guessed." When Hinata only nodded in response, he asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

"I have no idea, honestly." She admitted. "I already looked around the other room; there isn't much to do in here." She smiled, "Too bad you don't have any wood to make weapons with. That would help pass the time."

"Yeah, for me maybe." He replied with a small yawn at the end.

"We could just sleep," Hinata suggested. "It is like… I don't know, really late our time?"

Riku chuckled. "Yeah that's true, but I don't think I could sleep right now."

"Why not?" She asked.

He was silent for a moment before answering. "Too much to think about. If I went to sleep, who knows what I'd dream about?"

"Yeah…" She replied, momentarily allowing herself to think about the island before shaking her head. "Well, if you don't mind, I might try to get some sleep. I can't imagine it would be good to wander around this Wonderland place half-asleep."

Riku smirked, "Yeah, probably not a good idea." He sighed, "I have to admit, I'm jealous that you can fall asleep no matter where you are or what's going on."

She rolled her eyes, "That's so not true. I have trouble sleeping sometimes."

"I've lost count of how many times you just fell asleep when we were hanging out." He told her before laughing, "That's something you and Sora have in common." At the mention of his friend, his smile instantly vanished and he cleared his throat. "But, uh, yeah, you go ahead and get some rest. I'll figure out something to do."

Hinata half-smiled and reached forward to place one of her hands over his. "Well alright, but if you get too bored you can wake me up."

"I'll keep that in mind," He replied with a forced smile.

Standing up, Hinata gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before heading to the other room. As she walked through the doorway out of the cockpit, a silver door slid closed behind her; leaving Riku alone. Riku leaned back in his seat and stared out the windshield, allowing his thoughts to wander to only hours before when he was on the island speaking with that mysterious man. The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt for not telling Hinata about the incident. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and forced himself to focus on something else. He stared down at the control board with confusion and looked towards the blue button he had pressed earlier to silence the intercom. Reaching forward he pressed it again.

"Intercom Activated." The voice came through the speakers. "How may I be of assistance?"

Riku let out a breath before asking, "Can you teach me how to run this thing?"

The intercom was silent for a moment, as if trying to decipher his meaning. "You wish to fly the vessel?"

"Yeah, can you teach me?" He asked.

"Of course," The intercom replied. "We will start with Navigation…"

Riku nodded and mumbled under his breath, "At least this should distract me…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Author's Note: Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're headed to Wonderland next. And in case anyone is wondering how Maleficent got her hands on all those gummi ships I have my own little head canon about it. If you're reading this fanfic, I have to assume that you've at least played through Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2. But if not, I guess, spoiler alert? Anyways, Ansem the Wise was once the ruler of the castle in Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden and I believe him and possibly King Mickey invented gummi ship travel in general.
> 
> So I believe that even after Ansem the Wise was driven from his home and into the Realm of Darkness, his belongings, such as his gummi ships, stayed at the castle. And I'm sure that Xemnas/Xehanort/Ansem/get an identity dude, got rid of some of the gummi ships while he was in charge of the castle, but I bet at least a few were left behind for Maleficent to scrounge up after he left to create his World That Never Was. So anyways, I just think that somewhere within that crazy castle that's in Hollow Bastion there is a hangar bay filled with some old style gummi ships, like the one Riku and Hinata are on.***


	14. A Day in Wonderland

Chapter 14

The mechanical voice came over the intercom through the entire gummi ship, "You have reached your destination. Please beam down whenever is convenient."

The sound startled Hinata awake and with a gasp she swiftly sat up from the bed with widened eyes. It took her a moment to remember where she was and her stiff muscles twanged as they awoke. She placed her hand on her forehead and fell back onto the bed, staring up at the metal ceiling above her.

She heard the door to the cockpit slide open and half-heartedly turned her head to see Riku walking in. His eyes were reddened and he covered his mouth with his hand as he let out a yawn. He noticed Hinata awake and sent her a tired smile.

"I was coming in to wake you up," he told her.

Hinata slightly scoffed as she pushed herself to sit up. "Yeah, the computer took care of that." Rubbing her eyes, she asked, "Didn't you shut it off?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but after you went to sleep I had it teach me how to fly the ship."

She quickly removed her hands from her face and gave him a surprised look. "You know how to fly the ship now?"

He smirked a bit proudly and nodded.

"Then…" She spoke slowly as her thoughts pieced together. "Could you turn off the auto pilot?"

"I don't know, probably," He shrugged. "Why?"

"Because then we could fly the ship wherever we wanted. We could go searching for Sora and Kairi ourselves without having to do these chores for Maleficent." She told him as she stood from the bed.

Riku slightly frowned from her words, "Maybe."

Hinata gave him a look, "You don't want to?"

"It's not that," He assured her as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We just don't know anything about the other worlds. We don't have any weapons or a lot of food. I don't even know where we'd start looking. At least with Maleficent she knows what's around here and already told us she has ways to find Sora and Kairi."

Crossing her arms, Hinata replied with a bit of sarcasm laced in, "Yeah and all she wants in return is for us to do her bidding."

"It's not ideal," He admitted, "But it's better than being locked up in that castle." When Hinata only sighed in response, he motioned his head towards the cockpit. "Anyways, we're at Wonderland. We just need to beam down."

Hinata nodded and told him. "Alright, I'll be right there. I just need to get ready."

"Get ready?" He asked as Hinata walked past him towards the bathroom. "You look fine!"

"Just give me five minutes, alright?" She told him as she opened the bathroom door.

The restroom was small in size as Hinata had expected. The walls and floor were made of square white tiles and a single light hung from the ceiling. Hinata squeezed past the sink and looked into the long rectangular mirror that hung from the wall. Despite Riku's assurance that she looked fine, her hair was frizzed and had the distinct look of a bed head. With a slight shake of her head, she ran her fingers through her hair in attempt to smooth it out and pulling a hair tie that was around her wrist, she put her hair up in a ponytail. Then she looked at the state of her clothes. She naturally hadn't had any extra clothes with her when the island was destroyed and she began to wonder how she was going to get any other suitable outfits while in Hollow Bastion.

At the moment she wore a gray-blue long sleeve shirt with cut out holes along her shoulders. On top of it was a dark blue vest with gold lining that was buttoned up over her chest and waist before cascading to her hips in the back. Below were her regular tinted green pants and brown boots. Hinata let out a sigh at her outfit and attempted to straighten out the wrinkles before heading back out of the bathroom.

"You ready?" Riku asked as she came out.

She nodded, "Yeah, do you think there's some sort of shop at Hollow Bastion where I can get some clothes?" She immediately noticed the look Riku gave her and chuckled. "I know it's not really important right now, but I'd rather not walk around in the same outfit for weeks."

Riku shook his head while letting out a breath, but smiled. "Look, we'll ask when we get back. For now, can we please get down to Wonderland?"

Hinata laughed as she put up her hands in surrender, "Alright, alright."

"Besides, I don't know what you're complaining about," Riku told her as they entered the cockpit, "You look nice no matter what you're wearing."

Hinata silently smiled from his words before abruptly stopping mid-step. Right outside of the windshield was Wonderland. The gummi ship was in orbit around it, slowly circling it and allowing them to get a good look at it. The planet seemed to be made up of different types of biomes, some Hinata had admittedly never seen before. Thick clouds encircled the world, only making bits of the ground below visible from the ship's cockpit.

It took Hinata a few moments to regain her words from the sight. "That's Wonderland?" She asked.

"According to the navigation," Riku answered her as he came up beside her. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"

Hinata wordlessly nodded before letting out a small chuckle. "You know, I don't trust, let alone like Maleficent; but, this is pretty cool." She glanced over at Riku. "We're on a spaceship about to go down to a completely new world on a mission. How cool is that?"

Riku smirked, "Yeah, this is kind of awesome." He reached over towards a small black backpack on one of the seats and grabbed it. "By the way, Maleficent called while you were sleeping…"

"She did?" She asked; her previous excitement slightly dwindled.

"Yeah, she was just calling to explain a few things," He explained to her as he zipped open the bag. He showed Hinata the contents. "She told me these small glass bottles will make us shrink and these…" He reached in and pulled out a metal tin. Opening it, he revealed a small stack of perfectly made cookies with the words 'Eat Me' written on top of them with icing. "These cookies will make us grow."

Hinata picked up one of the cookies cautiously. "They change our size? Is that even possible?"

Riku shrugged, "She seemed to think so. I guess we'll find out."

With a reluctant nod, Hinata placed the cookie back in the tin and allowed Riku to put it back in the backpack before he zipped it up. He swung the pack over his shoulders and reached down to one of his belt loops, grabbing a black device. He held it in front of him and Hinata examined it. It was square in shape with a flat screen in the center. Underneath it was a line of three different buttons and a clip was on the back.

"What is that?" Hinata asked.

"Some sort of radio type thing." Riku tried to explain. "Maleficent said we can use it to keep in contact with her to update her on the mission and it can beam us back to the ship whenever we're ready to leave."

Hinata nodded, "Where does she get all this stuff?"

Riku scoffed, "Hell if I know."

"And where was all this stuff hiding?" She asked. "I searched the ship pretty good before I went to sleep."

"It was just on the top of the table in the other room," He told her.

"Well it wasn't there when I went to sleep." She replied before surmising. "It was probably put there by her crazy magic."

"Who knows," Riku chuckled as he clipped the communication's device to his belt loop. "But are you ready to get down there?"

Hinata's eyes lit up, "Yeah! Let's go see Wonderland."

Riku tried to smile back, but broke out into a sudden yawn. He shook his head a bit as if trying to refocus and reached his hand forward to press a button on the control board.

"Wait," Hinata reached forward and stopped him. "Are you sure you don't need to rest a bit first?"

He shook his head, "I told you already, I can't sleep right now."

"But are you sure exploring a new world while being exhausted is the best idea?" She asked.

He placed his hand over her hand that was grabbing his arm. With a reassuring smile, he told her. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

Hinata wasn't convinced but retracted her hand regardless. "Alright then, let's go."

Riku smirked and placed his hand down on the button. Within an instant a bright white light surrounded them. The moment it was gone they found themselves with new surroundings. The air was humid and thick making it a bit hard to breath as their hair instantly stuck to their skin. They stood in the middle of a dark forest where only a few rays of sunshine broke through the leaves of the trees. The trees were tall and dense, their trunks twisted high into the air and small white daisies scattered the grassy ground.

"I don't think I've ever seen this many trees," Hinata noted as she turned in place.

"Yeah," Riku agreed as he also looked around. "I'm not sure why this place is called Wonderland. Seems like a regular forest to me."

"Well, this is just one part of it," Hinata replied as she stepped forward, "From the ship it looked like there are all sorts of different types of land here." She reached over and grabbed his hand as she walked forward.

"Where are you going?" He asked while being pulled behind her.

"Trying to find Alice," She told him without stopping her walk.

"Do you know where she is?" He asked as he quickened his pace to meet hers.

"No," She admitted, "But I figure the best way to find her is to just pick a direction and start looking."

Riku smiled. "I guess that's better than nothing."

They walked through the forest, unsure of where they were going or what to expect. Their surroundings appeared to be the same no matter which direction they explored. After a couple hours of aimless wandering, they both began to lose their enthusiasm of being on a new world.

Riku let out a huffed breath and abruptly stopped walking. "Maybe we should just beam back to the ship and pick a different part of the world to search."

"Maybe," Hinata somewhat agreed as she also slowed to a stop. "But why did the ship beam us here? Maybe it knows Alice is around here."

"I don't think the ship has any idea," He replied with a short tone. "It just put us in the easiest spot." He grabbed the black device from his pants and got ready to press the button to beam them back up to the ship.

"Mr. Rabbit!" They heard a young girl's voice faintly in the distance, making them freeze. "Oh Mr. Rabbit!"

"You don't suppose…" Hinata began to say as she immediately ran towards the voice.

Riku clipped the device back to his belt loop before running after her. They continued to hear the girl yell for the rabbit, her voice gradually growing louder as they approached. Soon they reached a clearing where they found the source of the voice to indeed be Alice.

She had her back turned to Riku and Hinata as she searched around the clearing. Turning around, she took notice of them; but didn't do much more than a simple curtsey to acknowledge them before going back to her search.

As she turned back around and neared a fallen hollow log, she asked, "Now where do you suppose he's gone?"

"Who?" Riku asked.

"Why the White Rabbit of course," She replied as she bent down to look inside the log. "He ran past here not too long ago. I do hope I haven't lost him."

Hinata and Riku exchanged a look of confusion. "Uh, actually," Hinata spoke up, "Are you Alice?"

Alice quickly stood up straight from the log and looked at both of them. "How on earth do you know my name? I don't recall ever meeting either of you."

"Maleficent sent us," Riku told her. "We're here to take you back to Hollow Bastion."

Alice stepped back a bit with a shocked look on her face. "Hollow what? I've never even heard of such a place."

"You haven't?" Hinata asked, giving Riku a concerned look. "Are you sure? Maleficent told us you ran away."

"Ran away?" Alice huffed, "Why I never! One would think I would remember doing such a thing! And who is this Maleficent person?"

Riku quietly groaned under his breath and stepped forward, "Look, the gigs up." He told her harshly. "You can lie all you want but we're taking you home whether you like it or not."

"Wait," Hinata grabbed Riku's arm and pulled him back, giving him a slight glare for his tone. She put her attention back to Alice, noticing her subtlety moving farther away from them. "Alice, if you aren't from Hollow Bastion, where are you from?"

"England of course," She replied.

"And you're sure you've never heard of Maleficent?" Hinata asked.

"Why are you asking all of these questions?" Alice asked. "Who are you two, anyways?"

"Hinata…" Riku quietly called her name and pulled her back, speaking with a harsh whisper. "What are you doing? We need to bring her back to complete the mission."

"She doesn't even know who Maleficent is," Hinata told him with a hushed tone.

"She's obviously lying," Riku replied.

"Why would she lie about that?"

"Because she's running away," He answered. "She doesn't want to go home."

Hinata scoffed and looked back towards Alice but immediately groaned when she was nowhere to be seen. "Great, she's gone." With exasperation she shook her head and turned towards Riku with a glare.

"What?" He asked.

"Did you really have to be short with her?" She scolded him.

"I was just telling her the truth," He defended himself.

"Well next time could you be a little nicer about it?" She asked as she stormed off after Alice.

"As long as you don't try to sabotage the entire mission next time." He called after her, making her slow to a stop. "We're supposed to be taking Alice back with us."

"But what if Maleficent is the one lying about Alice?" Hinata asked. She turned around to face him.

"What would she want with a kid?" He retorted.

"Who knows what she wants?" She threw her hands in the air. "All I know is that I'm not going to bring her an innocent defenseless girl under false pretenses. And I'm honestly shocked that you would!"

Riku opened his mouth to respond, his fists clenched and his muscles tense. Then taking a deep breath, he calmed down. He ran his hand through his hair and spoke up with a softer voice, "Hinata, that isn't what we're doing." He walked towards her. "We're just completing our part of a deal to find Sora and Kairi. That's it."

"By kidnapping a little girl," Hinata responded with frustration still in her voice.

"She's not from Wonderland, she even admitted that herself." He pointed out. "Wherever we take her will probably be a lot safer than this place."

"How do you know she's lying about running away?" She asked.

"Because that's what I'd do." He replied. "And I did a few times." Hinata looked at him with surprise and he confessed. "Uh, before you got to the island I tried running away from my home and living on my own." He bitterly laughed, "It didn't end well."

"I had no idea…" She replied as she looked down. Taking a deep breath, she reached forward for his hands and nodded. "You're right…" She squeezed his hands and closed her eyes. "About Alice I mean. She's probably lying or something." She looked back up at him with a bit of embarrassment in her expression. "And I'm sorry I just blew up at you like that. I don't know what's gotten into me."

"With all the crap that's happened the past couple of days; I get it." He assured her with a bit of a smirk on his face. He ran his thumb along her wrist, "Don't worry about it."

Hinata's cheeks blushed and she let out a quiet giggle.

"What is it?" Riku asked with a smile.

"I was just thinking," She shook her head. "We're here in a crazy forest on some random world in the middle of the galaxy and we're spending our time here arguing." Riku laughed as she added, "Just seems a little silly to me."

"Well there's a lot going on." He pointed out in an attempt to make her feel better. "But even with all the stress and whatever, I'm glad you're here with me."

"Yeah?" She asked with a sweet smile. "You wouldn't rather be gallivanting through this forest alone?"

Riku snickered. "I don't really want to gallivant through anything; alone or otherwise. I prefer adventuring or exploring."

She gave him a look, "Which is basically what that means."

"Yeah, but my options are cooler." He shrugged with a bit of a laugh.

Hinata laughed in return and squeezed his hands.

"Alright," Riku got back to business as he released one of her hands. "We'd better get back to searching."

Hinata frowned but nodded, "Yeah…"

"Come on," He gently tugged on her hand as he led forward.

They walked together, once again aimlessly searching through the forest. As they walked, Hinata noticed their surroundings slowly beginning to change. The trees were thinning out and they soon found themselves on a plain of hills that were covered with various hues of red and green grass. Tall thin bushes randomly sprouted out of the grass and colorful flowers speckled the ground.

As they looked over their new surroundings they heard a frantic yell in the distance, "Monster! Help! Assistance!"

Hinata and Riku looked at each other with both worry and confusion. Riku reached to his side as if trying to grab a sword, but realized neither of them had any sort of weapon to protect themselves.

"Great," He mumbled under his breath. "Let's just hope we don't run into this monster thing."

Hinata nodded and opened her mouth to respond; but she gasped when her hand was suddenly grabbed by two tiny paws. She looked over to see a white rabbit wearing a red waistcoat staring up at her through thin round glasses at the tip of its red nose.

The rabbit tugged at her hand and madly hopped up and down. "A monster! My poor itty-bitty house! Please, I need assistance!"

"Gah!" She yelled out as she tugged her hand away from him and stumbled back a step. "What in the world?"

The rabbit nervously tapped his long foot on the ground and pulled out a large pocket watch from his pocket. "Oh I'm late! I'm late! Please, you must assist! There's a monster at my house and I have places I must be!"

Hinata was still at a loss for words at seeing a talking animal; so Riku stepped forward. "We can't help; find someone else." He grabbed Hinata's arm and began leading her away.

He was stopped when the rabbit grabbed a pawful of the side of his pants. "Please, please!" The rabbit pleaded.

His grip was surprisingly strong and despite the objections from Hinata and Riku, he pulled them along the edge of the forest until they reached a most peculiar sight. They stood in front of a quaint two story house with a straw roof that appeared to be completely normal; yet sticking out the side of the second floor windows were two long human arms and two legs protruded from the front and side door on the bottom floor Broken furniture was strewn about the front yard and the white rabbit released his hold on Riku to hop around frantically.

"See? A monster! A monster is in my house!" The rabbit yelled.

"Hello?" Alice's voice came from the house. "Who's there?"

The arms from the house reached forward and opened two pink shutters that covered the front window to reveal Alice's large blue eyes as she peered out from inside the house.

"What the…?" Riku spoke under his breath in disbelief.

Hinata stared up at the sight with her mouth agape before her sides began to tremble and she bent forward, bursting into laughter.

"Oh no, not you two again…" Alice groaned.

Struggling to regain her composure from laughing, Hinata asked. "How did you get stuck in there?"

"Well, you see, I was just looking for the rabbit's gloves when…" Alice began to answer before her voice trailed off. Upturning her nose she moved her arms in attempt to cross them in front of her; yet the motion only rumbled the home and made the rabbit yell out in fright. "I'm sorry," She spoke again; "I do not wish to speak with you."

"She must have eaten one of those cookies," Riku surmised as he pulled out the backpack and unzipped it. He grabbed one of the glass vials and held it out. "We have what you need to get small again."

"I don't want it!" Alice abruptly told him with a huff as she closed her eyes and looked away.

"You want to stay that size forever?" He asked.

Alice slowly opened one of her eyes and glanced down at Riku holding up the tiny vial. With a wistful sigh she reached down and grabbed it from him. As she brought it up to drink it she told herself, "I really shouldn't be drinking something from a stranger…"

"What?" Hinata asked.

"Oh just giving myself some good advice," Alice told her as she took off the cork from the top of the vial before drinking its contents.

The moment Alice drank the liquid her entire body shrunk. Her arms and legs disappeared back into the house and Riku ran inside to find her. As he went in, the rabbit jumped up and down clapping.

"Oh hooray!" The rabbit cheered, "You did it! Oh thank you!" He grabbed Hinata's hand and shook it furiously.

"Uh, yeah," Hinata smiled, still a bit uneasy by a talking animal. "It was no problem."

"I will make you tea! Or perhaps a cake!" He continued before his watch fell out of his pocket. He grabbed his pocket watch and glanced at its face. His ears shot up, "Oh my! I'm late, I'm late!" He immediately released Hinata's hand and bounced away in a flurry.

Hinata watched him disappear in the distance with a confused look on her face. Shaking her head, she turned to join Riku in the house and noticed a small blue creature run by her feet. She didn't pay it much mind and stepped over it as she walked.

"I can't find her!" Riku called from the house. "It's like that stuff we gave her made her disappear."

"Really?" She asked as she quickened her pace. As she reached the front door she suddenly stopped and looked behind her. "Actually… I think I might know where she went."

"You do?" Riku asked as he climbed over some broken furniture to come over to her.

"Yeah," Hinata looked back at him. "I saw a small blue creature run past me a second ago. I assumed it was a bug or something but if the stuff in the vial is supposed to shrink you…"

Riku groaned, "Then maybe it made her the size of an insect. Great… Do you know where she went?"

Hinata turned and headed out of the house, stopping in front of a field of flowers. "I only saw her for a second, but I'm pretty sure she went in here."

He pulled out the backpack and grabbed two glass vials from inside. "We shouldn't risk walking in there this size. We might step on her or something." He handed Hinata a vial. "So we should probably drink these."

She eyed the clear liquid inside the vial and let out a breath. "I guess it's worth a shot."

They pulled off the cork lids and clinked their glasses together before swigging them back.

Riku looked at the vial after he drank a sip of it. "It tastes just like limeade."

"Mine tastes like coffee," Hinata replied before she took another sip. "Or maybe… sushi?"

As they talked they didn't even notice as their entire bodies shrunk smaller and smaller with every drop they ingested. They didn't think to stop drinking until the glass bottles towered over them and they fell backwards onto the dirt beneath them.

Hinata coughed from the dust cloud that sprung up when she fell back and waved her hand in front of her face. She looked over to Riku, seeing him standing up, staring at the glass bottle that stood at least five feet taller than them. A few drops of the liquid were still sloshing at the bottom of the glass.

"There was a lot more liquid in there than it seemed." Hinata spoke up, getting his attention.

Riku looked over at her and nodded wordlessly. They each took a moment to take in their new surroundings. Thick green stems surrounded them, towering above them before blooming into vibrant flowers of all different colors. The petals blocked the sun, but were thin enough that the light still shined through them, creating a stained glass effect.

Hinata looked up at the flower forest with wonderment and put her hands out in front of her, admiring the way the sun rays shining through the flower petals casted an array of colors beneath them. "This is beautiful," She whispered as she looked up to Riku. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah it is," He replied, but not nearly as entranced as her. "Come on, we don't know how far ahead Alice is."

He turned and began walking further into the flower forest. Hinata quickly followed after him but couldn't stop admiring the world around them as they walked. The flowers only grew thicker as they walked, creating an even more whimsical scene. Hinata took a deep breath, taking in the sweet perfumes that surrounded them.

"Riku wait," She stopped walking and waited for Riku to stop as well. "I know we're trying to find Alice and we're busy and everything, but… can we just take a moment to realize how amazing this is?"

"We don't have time…" Riku began to reply as he turned to look back at her, but his voice cut short. He saw the childlike excitement in her eyes and the colors from the dozens of flowers that surrounded them were just breathtaking. For just a moment, he forgot about the mission and walked towards her. Grabbing her hands he looked around with her and agreed, "You're right, this is amazing."

"We're like what, three inches tall, walking through a forest of flowers." She told him. "And I saw my first talking animal today."

Riku laughed, "Yeah that was strange." He watched her as she gazed around at everything around them with a fanciful smile on her face. "You always find the fun in a situation, you know that?"

Hinata turned her attention back to him. "I do?"

"Yeah," He smirked. "You do it a lot."

She smiled back, "Well, I hope that's alright."

"I'm not complaining," He shrugged, making her giggle.

They looked at each other for a moment and Riku lifted one of his hands up to the side of her face. Hinata's cheeks blushed and she felt her heart begin to race.

"Kiss her!" An uneven chorus of voices whispered from the surrounding brush.

"What was that?" Hinata asked as Riku pulled back his hands and looked around.

"I don't know," He replied before calling out. "Who's there?"

They looked up at the surrounding flowers and in between the stems, but no one replied.

"Cool, that's not creepy at all," Hinata whispered sarcastically as she uncomfortably ran her hands over her arms.

"Yeah…" Riku replied uneasily. He reached back and grabbed her hand, "Let's keep moving."

Keeping an eye on the brush around them, they continued on their way. As they left the area they could hear disappointed murmurs behind them, but they refused to look back. They continued to walk for a while, unsure if they were even going in the right direction. Hinata's wonderment had been replaced with anxiousness as she continued to dart her gaze around in search of anything or anyone. They slowed to a momentary stop when they heard singing voices in the distance.

"Do you hear that?" Riku asked.

"Yeah," She replied. "I wonder if it's the same people that creeped on us earlier."

Riku nodded "One way to find out."

They followed the sound of the voices that proved to be much farther away than they had initially thought. The singing soon came to a stop and was replaced with the voices chattering amongst themselves. One of them distinctively belonged to Alice.

"I think I hear her," Hinata told Riku as they quickened their pace.

The voices gradually rose in volume and tone until suddenly there was a great bit of shouting. Then Alice's scream pierced through the air, making Hinata and Riku break into a run. They pushed past a large wall of leaves and the voices suddenly ceased.

Slowing her run to a stop, Hinata cupped her hands around her mouth, "Alice! Alice, are you alright?" She turned around and looked over at Riku, "What if something happened?"

"We just heard her," He told her, "She couldn't have gotten too far."

A murmur of whispers was heard all around them. Hinata gasped and turned around, but all that was in front of her was flowers.

"Who's there?" She called out but received no response.

"We know you're out there," Riku added. "Just come out where we can see you."

"But we are out, dear." A clear woman's voice caught their attention.

They both looked up to see a grand red rose facing them with what they could have sworn was a smile.

Hinata stepped to be beside Riku as she asked quietly. "Did that flower just talk?"

He was about to respond, but then the rose bent down before their eyes and spoke, "Why of course I did, my dear."

Riku and Hinata stumbled backwards with a mixture of gasps and yelps.

"Flowers talk here too?" Hinata asked in disbelief.

"Of course!" A white daisy leaned forward with a smile on her bud. "Why wouldn't we?"

"A lot of reasons," Hinata replied without thinking. Then shaking her head she got her mind back on track, "But um, alright, talking flowers." She glanced over at Riku, who was silently watching the flowers with a confused look. Clearing her throat, she turned her attention back to the daisy and rose in front of her and asked. "Have you seen a small girl come through here? She was wearing a blue dress and has blonde hair."

"What's a dress?" A chorus of child-like voices asked.

Hinata turned around to see a small bed of short bell shaped flowers; each of them stared up at her with big eyes. Before she could answer, the other flowers around them began speaking up. Their voices layered over the other as they discussed what Hinata was asking.

"What type of world did Maleficent send us to?" Hinata whispered to Riku.

He shook his head. "I have no idea." He replied, finally finding his voice.

"You know," The daisy spoke over the others, quieting them down. She leaned forward until she was only a few inches from Riku and Hinata. "Now that I look at them, they do look a lot like that vulgaris we saw a few moments ago." She leaned back up straight and asked. "Don't you girls think so?"

The flowers all murmured in agreement as they each began poking and prodding Riku and Hinata with their leaves and petals. Hinata stumbled forward and tried in vain to explain their situation as her voice was merely drowned out by the constant bickering between the flowers. Riku quickly became annoyed and swatted away the leaves, receiving huffs from the flowers.

"Will you stop?!" Riku finally yelled out in exasperation.

The flowers all gasped and leaned back in surprise.

"My goodness, what temper!" The rose puffed as the other flowers chattered in agreement.

"We're just looking for a girl named Alice," Hinata told them, seeing they had their attention. "Do you know…?"

"Alice?!" The flowers yelled in panicked unison.

"You know her?" Hinata asked as she stepped forward.

"If you are here for Alice, you must be…" The red rose began to piece together.

"Common Mobile Vulgaris," A pompous purple flower barged forward.

The surrounding flowers all began to panic from the purple flower's words.

"What are you going on about?" Riku asked with annoyance.

"You're weeds!" The purple flower got in their faces, making Hinata fall back.

"We aren't weeds!" Hinata objected as she scrambled to her feet. "We're just looking for Alice."

"Well of course you wouldn't admit it!" A group of tulips scolded them.

"Just tell us where Alice went!" Riku interrupted with a raised voice.

"Even if you weren't weeds, we would never help anyone with such a temper!" The purple flower told them with a humph.

"Fine," Riku replied before grumbling, "This is ridiculous."

Hinata looked over at him as he pulled out the backpack and took out the small metal tin of cookies. Opening it, he broke off a small piece of the cookie and handed it to Hinata. She took it and waited for him to grab a similar size piece for himself before placing it in her mouth and biting down on the surprisingly delicious cookie. The moment they swallowed, their bodies grew back to full size and Riku glared down at the shivering flowers below.

"You aren't going to pick them, are you?" Hinata asked cautiously.

Riku scoffed, "Of course not! I'm not a monster." He stomped off, making sure to step over the flowers.

Hinata followed after him, being careful not to step on any flowers along the way. "Do you know where you're going?" She asked after a couple minutes.

"No," Riku swung his hands in the air in exasperation. "I have no idea where I'm going! I don't know where that brat went."

"Riku…" Hinata softly scolded him.

Riku scowled and looked away. "We keep getting close to getting her and then she just disappears and we're back at square one."

"We'll find her." She assured him. "We just need to get our bearings of this place."

"What bearings?" He asked with a bit of a bitter laugh. "This place is insane! Talking plants and animals? Food that changes your size? How are we supposed to figure this place out?"

"Maybe it would be best to head back to the ship and rest." She stepped forward. "We won't get anywhere if you push yourself too hard. We'll come back tomorrow and try again."

"I'm fine," He waved her off. "Just… a bit thrown off. I was not expecting those flowers to talk."

Hinata chuckled a bit uneasily and agreed. "Yeah, that was weird." She looked at him with concern. "Are you sure you don't need some rest though? When's the last time you slept?"

"I don't know," He shrugged. "But honestly I'm fine. Once we get Alice back to Maleficent I'll sleep all I want."

Hinata sighed but nodded, "Alright. We're should we go then?"

Riku looked around. He saw fields of flowers and strange grassy hills all over, but then spotted a road leading into another forest. "Let's follow that path," He suggested, already walking towards it. "It might lead to some actual people."

"I can't imagine what the people would be like in a place like this," Hinata replied as she walked alongside him.

They reached the path and entered the forest. It was darker than the forest they had initially arrived in. The trees were far thicker and their leaves were bundled into spheres rather than being scattered throughout the branches sporadically. They stayed on the path as it winded in between the trees and continued to walk for a couple hours.

"Does this even lead anywhere?" Riku asked in between heavy breaths.

Both of them were getting close to complete exhaustion. They stopped for a short breather and Hinata scanned the area as she leaned against the trunk of a tree. Farther down a neighboring path she spotted a tree covered with different wooden signs, each pointing a different direction.

"I think I see something," Hinata spoke up. She pushed herself off the tree trunk and walked off their path towards the other tree.

Riku reluctantly followed, forcing his tired legs to move. As he came up behind her, he saw the wooden signs nailed to the tree and placed in the ground. For a moment he got a ray of hope, but upon reading the signs it was quickly snuffed out. Each sign read complete nonsense, telling them to go certain ways that made no sense.

He let out a breath. "I hate this place…" He looked around, seeing paths going in every direction. "We'll never find Alice at this rate."

"Did you say, Alice?" A strange unknown voice rang through the air.

Riku shook his head and didn't bother to acknowledge the voice. Hinata, however, perked up and called out, "Yes we did. Who are you?"

"The Cheshire Cat of course," The voice replied. On top of a thick tree branch a grinning set of teeth appeared, floating mid-air.

Hinata grabbed Riku's arm and pointed towards the floating teeth that was joined by a set of two glowing eyes. "Do you see that?" She asked him quietly.

Riku looked up at it but barely blinked from the odd sight. He watched with Hinata as a pink body appeared around the floating body parts, creating a large lounging cat.

"Did you lose something, or rather, someone?" The Cheshire Cat cooed, leaning his head on one of his paws.

"Yes actually," Hinata answered, "Have you seen a little girl named Alice come through here?"

"The Cheshire Cat has all the answers but doesn't always tell." He replied as he removed his head and began holding it in one of his paws.

Hinata cocked her head to the side when she saw the cat pull off his head, "That's probably the oddest thing I've ever seen in my life." She mumbled.

"That was beyond helpful, thanks." Riku jeered sarcastically at the Cheshire Cat. Grabbing Hinata's arm he told her, "Come on, this is getting ridiculous. Maybe we can call Maleficent and ask her what to do."

The cat disappeared and reappeared right in front of Riku, making him jump back in surprise. "This girl Alice, who you seek, did not know her way. You better get to her soon, before she loses her head."

"Loses her head?" Hinata asked behind Riku.

"It's the Queen's way!" The Cat informed them, getting an eerily low voice when he said queen.

"There's a queen here?" Riku asked, "Is she the one responsible for all this madness?"

"Most everyone is mad here." The Cat chuckled.

"I hadn't noticed," Riku sighed once again being sarcastic, "How can we get to this queen? Is Alice with her?"

The Cat disappeared once again and reappeared on top of the same tree limb he had greeted them on. "I would take the short cut, just like Alice did," He pushed down a small branch, revealing a secret door in the tree trunk that led to a hedge garden.

Hinata and Riku exchanged a look as if silently asking each other if they should go through. Looking through the secret door Hinata saw bright sunlight and a castle in the distance. She gave Riku a small smile and shrugged before walking towards it.

"Thank you," Hinata looked up at the Cheshire Cat before heading through the door.

The Cheshire Cat slightly bowed his head before disappearing. Riku took a deep breath, not sure how to feel; but seeing Hinata already walking through the door he followed after her to the hedge garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I have always loved Alice in Wonderland! The book is so fun and Disney did such a wonderful job recreating it. I have to admit I really did not like playing it in Kingdom Hearts, but I was still happy they put it in. Anyways, we'll be finishing up Wonderland next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!***


	15. Finding Alice

Chapter 15

Hinata smiled as the sun rays warmed her skin. It was a welcomed change from the shadowed forests and humid air. She looked around at their surroundings; seeing walls made of hedges from every side. The walls created corridors through what appeared to be some sort of garden. In some corners rose bushes were planted in the ground, many of the roses were red, but a few were white with red splotches as if they had been painted.

"Where are we now?" Riku asked, walking up beside Hinata. He looked around with not nearly as much interest. "Seems like some sort of maze."

Hinata nodded, "Well the Cheshire Cat said that Alice took the same shortcut; so maybe she's around here somewhere." She turned around to see the door they had entered from but it was nowhere to be seen. The only thing behind them was yet another hedge wall.

"Let's just hope we can find her before that Queen does," Riku commented as he already began walking forward. "Although, I'm not sure how much luck we'll have with finding her in a maze."

"At least we know she's in the area." Hinata pointed out as she walked alongside him.

"According to that Cat anyways, and I'm not sure how much I trust his word." He replied.

"Then… at least we're out of the forest and in some sunlight." She shrugged, trying to be positive.

Riku only frowned in response. Hinata glanced over at him, noticing the bags under his eyes and the scowl on his face. She leaned over, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek.

With a surprised expression, Riku stopped walking and placed his hand over his cheek where she had kissed. "What was that for?"

Hinata smirked as she walked on ahead of him with a bit of a skip in her step. "I don't know, just felt like it."

A small smile appeared on his blushed face and he jogged forward to Catch up. Nudging her gently once he was beside her again, he told her. "Well thanks."

Hinata only smiled in response as they continued walking, hoping she had somewhat improved his mood. They continued their search in silence, blindly turning different corners in hope that they were somewhat closing in on Alice's whereabouts. After about an hour of searching they slowed to a stop to rest.

"This is impossible." Hinata said breathlessly as she leaned her hands on her knees.

Riku snickered, making her look over at him. "I've been saying that since we got here." He pulled out the black device from his belt loop and suggested. "Maybe we should call Maleficent."

"Why? So she could tell us how incompetent we are?" Hinata asked.

He rolled his eyes, "No, she might have some ideas of how to track Alice down."

Hinata frowned, but resigned, "Alright, as long as you think she might actually be helpful."

Riku was just about to press the call button, but stopped short. "Wait, do you hear that?"

Standing back up straight, Hinata asked, "What?"

"I think I hear some voices." He replied.

In the distance a group of voices were heard chattering, but Riku and Hinata couldn't make out what they were saying. They immediately rushed after he sound, trying to maneuver their way through the hedge maze as fast as they could. Riku ran ahead of Hinata and turned the corner, stopping short. He quickly backed up and put his arm out to stop Hinata.

Hinata stopped beside him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Riku only put his finger to his lips in response, telling her to be quiet. He leaned his back against the hedge wall, having Hinata do the same before peeking around the corner. Hinata peered around the corner with him and arched an eyebrow at the sight. Where they looked there was a large clearing where a large group of people chattered away. In the center of the area they saw Alice. She stood there holding the long feet of a pink flamingo, trying to hit its beak against a rolled up hedgehog. SCattered around Alice were playing cards; yet they stood over five feet tall and walked around on two round feet, with long spears in their hands.

"Playing Card Guards?" Hinata asked under her breath. "How is that possible?"

"How is anything possible here?" Riku asked with a hushed voice in return.

"True," Hinata nodded as she watched Alice try to hit the hedgehog. "Is Alice trying to play croquet?"

"That isn't like any game of croquet I've ever seen." Riku replied as he scanned the area. "But look, I think that's the Queen."

Hinata followed his gaze and spotted a large woman somewhat near Alice. She wore a grand red and black ball gown with a white collar around the top. Her face was round and plump, adorned with a smile that both seemed unsettling and wicked. Atop her wiry black hair was a small golden crown that bounced as she talked with a huffed voice. She appeared to be laughing, but something told Hinata that it wouldn't take much to transform that smile into a scowl.

"Well this is great," Riku sighed as he looked away from the scene and slid down to the ground. "No way we're sneaking in there without getting noticed."

Hinata knelt down beside Riku. "We could go in and try explaining our situation."

"Yeah, cause that's worked well for us so far." Riku sarcastically remarked.

"Well it's the only idea I've got." Hinata shrugged.

Riku opened his mouth to respond, but his voice was drowned out by the Queen's as she suddenly screeched out, "Off with their heads!"

Riku and Hinata quickly looked around the corner to see the Queen's face beet red as she stomped her feet under her giant gown. Two Club Card Guards were kneeled before her, begging for forgiveness over whatever transgression they had committed. The Queen however, was hearing none of it and ordered two Heart Card Guards to take them away. Hinata watched with near tears in her eyes as the two Club Guards were dragged away. The moment the cards were out of sight, the party continued as usual.

"What did they do to deserve that?" Hinata asked.

"Who knows, it's not our problem." Riku replied as he turned back and leaned against the hedge wall. He noticed the look he got from Hinata and defended. "It's not like we can do anything to help them. We don't have any weapons, remember?" Hinata only frowned and looked away. Riku sighed as he pulled out the black device once again. "I'm just going to call Maleficent. At least we've found Alice."

Hinata silently nodded and felt a knot form in her stomach as Riku pressed the call button. It took barely over three rings before the square screen in the center of the device lit up with a video image of Maleficent's face.

"What news do you have?" Maleficent asked, looking straight at Riku.

"We found Alice but the Queen and her, uh, guards are surrounding her." Riku explained. "It would help if we had weapons or something to get her out."

"Weapons will not be necessary," Maleficent shook her head. "The Queen of Hearts beheads anyone who stands in her way, whether they are guilty of anything or not. I believe this situation calls for Heartless."

Riku gave Hinata a confused look before asking, "What are Heartless?"

"When a person loses their heart to the darkness a Heartless is created. If one steeps into the darkness, it is possible to control them." Maleficent explained quickly.

Hinata began to feel uneasy about the whole situation as Riku simply asked, "How are they supposed to help us?"

"The Heartless can also take other people's hearts. Specifically the Queen of Hearts, in this situation." Maleficent explained.

"Take her heart?" Hinata protested, "We're only here for Alice. Why would we…?"

"Silence," Maleficent sternly spoke to Hinata, immediately receiving a threatening look from Riku; but she ignored it as she ordered, "As the Heartless take care of the Queen, retrieve Alice." Before either of them could reply she abruptly cut the call.

Riku clipped the device back to one of his belt loops and stood up. He reached out his hand to help Hinata up and noticed the troubled expression on her face. "Look," He told her, "I know this isn't the ideal way to get Alice, but it's what we've got. You were just worried about those card things getting beheaded; maybe getting the Queen out of the picture will save their lives."

Hinata took Riku's hand and allowed him to help her up before crossing her arms, "It just doesn't feel right. We don't even know who the Queen is and here we are sending creatures to take her heart."

"She can't be all that great if she orders everything to get their head chopped off." Riku pointed out before turning around with a sigh. "Alright, we better find a way to sneak in and get Alice."

"Okay…" She quietly replied as she peeked around the side of the hedge to look back to the party. Nothing seemed to be different as everyone still bustled about, enjoying the gathering. "How will we know which one is the Heartless? What do they even look like?"

"Beats me." He replied. "I'm sure we'll know when we see it."

They continued watching for a few minutes, constantly scanning the area for anything that could resemble the Heartless creature Maleficent mentioned. Then suddenly Hinata gasped and jumped back when a black pool appeared right by their feet. Riku also stepped back and stared unsure at the pulsating pool of darkness by their feet.

They watched in silence as two glowing yellow eyes appeared at the surface of the pool and a black shadowed body crawled out of it. It appeared to be identical to the creatures they had seen when the island was being destroyed. It had a round head with two straggly antennas twitching as it stared back at Riku and Hinata.

Riku hesitantly outstretched his hand towards it before Hinata quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "What are you doing?" She asked him with a whisper.

"Uh, nothing," He cleared his throat and shook his head.

Hinata let go of his wrist while giving him a concerned look before sending her attention to the black creature. "It looks just like the creatures we saw when the island was being destroyed."

"I know," He replied.

"Do you think Maleficent had anything to do with it?" She asked.

Riku frowned, "I don't know. It wouldn't make sense if she was; but let's not worry about that right now."

"Yeah, you're right." She sighed as she examined the creature. "Why is it just staring at us?"

"Maybe we're supposed to tell it what to do." He suggested. Clearing his throat, he stepped forward and addressed it. "Go after the Queen."

It looked up at Riku, twitching side to side before turning around and slinking into the ground. Being completely flat against the grass, it went straight into the party.

Riku glanced back at Hinata with a smirk and a shrug, "Guess it is a Heartless."

"I'm surprised it listened to you." Hinata told him.

"Maleficent must have told it to." He shrugged it off. "But let's watch to make sure we don't miss our chance to get Alice." He peeked around the side and scanned the area to Catch sight of the Heartless still slinked to the ground. He pointed forward. "There it is."

Hinata looked to where he pointed and saw the Heartless just a few feet behind the Queen. It came up out of the ground and held out its hands in front of it, baring sharp claws.

"This isn't right…" Hinata whispered.

"It'll be fine," He assured her while moving his hand back to grab hers. "Don't worry so much."

A slight frown appeared on her face but she squeezed his hand before he pulled it back. They watched as the Heartless began creeping up behind, unbeknownst to the Queen. It raised its sharp claws and got ready to jump, but was stopped short when a spear was pierced right through it; making it burst into a cloud of smoke.

The Queen quickly spun around and saw the cloud of smoke. Her face began turning red as she demanded of the Card Guard that was standing near her. "What is the meaning of this?"

The Heart Card Guard stood at attention while saluting. "Your Majesty, there was just an attempt on your life. A small black monster was about ready to ambush you from behind."

"What?!" She bellowed with literal steam coming out of her ears. She spun around and pointed her heart scepter straight at Alice. "It must be her doing!"

"Excuse me?" Alice asked. She dropped the flamingo she had been holding and adamantly placed her hands on her hips. "I would never do such a thing! I have been here with you this entire time."

"If it wasn't you then who was it?" The Queen asked with a fake smile.

Alice thought about it for a moment, "Well I don't know. I'm afraid I didn't get the chance to see who it was."

"Hmmph!" The Queen tipped her nose into the air. "If she cannot prove her innocence, she must be guilty!"

"Oh no!" Hinata gasped. She moved out from their cover and was about to run into the situation, but Riku grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"You're only going to get yourself killed," He told her.

"We have to do something," She whispered back.

"Off with her head!" The Queen screeched, making both of them turn around to see the scene.

"What?" Alice cried. "You must at least give me a fair trial!"

"What I say goes!" The Queen yelled while stomping her feet. "Off with her head!"

"This is ridiculous," Hinata told Riku, "I don't care what happens. I have to do something."

She pushed off the hedge wall and began to walk into the garden clearing, not listening to Riku's objections. Opening her mouth, she was about to draw attention to herself but she stopped short when she saw another black pool of darkness suddenly appear in the center of the clearing. It was much larger than the last one as it rippled and pulsated. The people in the party all gasped and yelped in surprise as they scampered backwards.

"What is this?!" The Queen demanded as she looked right over at Alice. "Another one of your tricks?"

"I haven't done anything!" Alice exclaimed.

Hinata stood frozen as Heartless began crawling out of the pool of darkness. Some of them were the same type as the Shadow, but the others were different. A few of them flew through the air while calling down streaks of lightning around them. Others were covered with armor with silver helmets on their heads as they clumsily ran towards the guards while violently slashing their red claws in front of them.

"Guards!" The Queen cried.

The Card Guards lined in front of the Queen, holding their spears ready in front of them. The Heartless wasted no time charging towards the guards and a sudden battle ensued. Riku came up behind Hinata and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to safety.

He pushed her against the hedge wall and scolded her, "Don't ever do that again."

Hinata looked away from him as he let her go and looked around the side. The Heartless and guards were still fighting and the Card Guards' numbers were quickly dwindling. With each one that fell, a glowing heart would rise out of their bodies before being consumed with a green and black mist. Riku stared at the battle before him, more enthralled by it than he wanted to admit. He barely noticed as the Queen grabbed Alice's arm and made a dash for it to make it out of the battle fray.

Riku saw them running and grabbed Hinata's hand. "Come on, they're getting away!"

He pulled her behind him without waiting for her response. They ran along the edge of the battle, the Heartless actually protected them from the card guards as they ran past. Hinata stayed close behind Riku, feeling a knot gradually growing in the pit of her stomach as she saw the Card Guards around her being slaughtered. Once they made it to the other side of the clearing and got back into the hedge maze, Riku released Hinata's hand and ran ahead. He saw the Queen running up ahead with Alice and a small group of guards as they turned a corner and he pushed himself to sprint. Despite his speed, when he turned down the same corner, they were nowhere to be seen. He slowed to a stop and looked around. Just in front of him where four different pathways to go down and no matter how hard he listened he couldn't hear anything other than the battle going on behind them. A scowl appeared on his face as he realized he had lost them. With a growl he kicked the ground, kicking up a grassy clump of dirt.

Hinata slowed her run to a stop as she finally caught up and took a moment to Catch her breath. "Well that backfired." She said breathlessly.

"Yeah," Riku replied with a low voice. He turned around and threw his hands in the air. "We were so close! What are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't know," She admitted with her eyes down cast. "But we'll figure it out."

He frowned and placed his hands on his hips. Letting out a breath, he stared down at the ground, trying to get himself to calm down. After a couple minutes of silence he looked back up at Hinata and told her. "I know you wanted to help Alice, but barging in like you were trying to do was reckless."

Hinata looked up at him surprised and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She averted her gaze and slowly nodded, "Yeah, I know. I just couldn't sit back and watch. It's our fault if she gets killed."

"If it's anyone's fault, it's that Queen." He told her as he let out a sigh. "Just… be more careful, alright? I don't want anything happening to you."

She moved her gaze back to his, seeing a small smile on his face. A blush appeared on her face and she smiled back. "I will." She told him.

"Good," He replied before looking around and inhaling deeply. "Now let's figure out where to go next."

"Where indeed?" A familiar voice rang through the air. On top of a hedge in front of them, the Cheshire Cat appeared.

"Great…" Riku grumbled under his breath before asking. "What do you want?"

The Cheshire Cat chuckled before pointing down the nearest path. "She went that way."

"Who did?" Hinata asked as she stepped forward.

"Alice," The Cat replied.

"She did?" Hinata asked.

"She did what?" He asked.

"She went that way," Riku pointed down the same way the Cat pointed.

Who did?" The Cat replied.

"Alice!" Hinata said, starting to get frustrated.

"I don't know anyone by that name." The Cat replied with a coy shrug.

"Of course you don't." Riku remarked with a sigh as he stared down the path the Cat had pointed down.

"However, if I was looking for an Alice," the Cat took off its head and began balancing on top of it. "I would try to find her swiftly; the Queen is in quite the beheading mood."

Riku looked back at the Cat and said, "Look Cat,-"

"Cheshire Cat, if you please," The Cat interrupted picking up its head and lifting his ears as if he was tipping a hat.

"Whatever you're called," He waved him off, "If you know where Alice is you need to tell us. We're her only chance on getting out of here alive."

"She is already awaiting rescue from a boy and his two companions." The Cat replied as he twirled in the air as if he were ice skating.

Hinata gave Riku a confused look. "That can't be us. Who are you talking about?"

The Cheshire Cat shrugged and told them, "I told you before, I have all the answers but don't always tell."

"Just tell us how we can get to her." Riku groaned.

"It is said that the early bird gets the worm," The Cheshire Cat purred out, "But what if the early bird is the worm?"

Riku looked at him confused as Hinata crossed her arms and asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

The Cheshire Cat simply grinned and disappeared, leaving them completely bewildered.

"Well that was a complete waste of time," Riku sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"We can at least try going down the path he pointed down," Hinata suggested as she put her hand on his shoulder.

Riku looked down the path and shrugged, "It's not like we have any other leads." He placed his hand over Hinata's before walking forward.

They walked together along the path mostly in silence for what seemed like hours with no luck. The battle cries from before had died down and everything was dissonantly silent. Not a single bird was heard singing and there was no breeze. The only sound was their footsteps as they walked along the grass. As they turned a corner they came upon a huge dirt pile that stood in their path. In the center of the mountain it was caved in as if it were a giant ant hill.

"Well what do you make of that?" Hinata asked as she came up beside Riku.

Riku stared up at it. "I just hope we don't have to go inside it. Considering everything we've seen today I don't even want to know what's waiting inside it. Probably five foot tall ants or something."

Hinata shuddered. "Yeah… let's find another way." She turned around and already began walking away.

Riku chuckled and turned around to follow her, but then the ground around them began to rumble and they stumbled forward. They turned to look back at the dirt dune as it began to crumble away. The two of them struggled to stay on their feet as a creature emerged out of the rubble. A giant, long green worm-like creature peered at them through its small eyes. On its back were two long blue wings and a yellow beak adorned its face.

Hinata took one look at it before telling Riku with a quiet voice "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'd rather it was ants." She turned to leave and grabbed Riku's arm "Maybe it doesn't see us, let's run."

"Are you enjoying the maze?" The worm asked them, cocking its head to the side.

"Please don't say it's talking to us…" Hinata said under her breath as she slowly turned back around to face the giant worm.

"It's talking to us," Riku told her before clearing his throat and speaking up. "Uh, what exactly are you?"

"Why I'm the Early Worm of course!" The Early Worm replied while flapping its wings.

"Oh of course," Hinata nervously laughed before mumbling. "Now I've seen everything."

"Are you enjoying the maze?" The Early Worm repeated. "People always seem to stay for a long time when they are here in the maze."

"That's probably because they can't find their way out." Hinata replied, still holding onto Riku's arm.

"Oh it's easy enough to get out," The worm replied. "All you have to do is fly over it!"

"We're kind of missing the wings." Riku pointed out.

"Oh, well in that case would you like a lift?" The worm offered, "You got here early enough that I haven't started anything yet."

"Uh… sure?" Riku replied about to step forward but Hinata held her ground.

"I am not getting on that thing." She told him with a whisper.

Riku sighed as he looked between her and the worm. "Well alright, you could just stay here alone while I go and finish the mission."

She nodded, "Just be quick."

He scoffed and face palmed. "Alright, I was kidding. You're coming with me." Hinata began to object and he cut her off. "I get that it's weird, but he can give us a clear view of the entire maze. We'll be able to spot Alice easily. Just pretend it's a strange bird or something."

Hinata glanced up at the Early Worm as it patiently awaited them. It didn't seem to have any malicious intent, but it still made Hinata inwardly shudder just by looking at it. Swallowing hard, she shortly nodded. "Alright…"

They walked towards the Early Worm as it lowered one of it long wings to allow them to climb aboard. Once they were on its back they were able to grab on to a tuft of soft feathers that spanned between its wings. Riku sat up front and Hinata close behind him.

"Hold on tight!" The Early Worm warned them before it cawed and flapped its wings.

Hinata yelped and quickly wrapped her arms around Riku from behind, burying her face into his shoulder. Riku smirked, but didn't say anything. He kept his head down as strong winds from the wings flapping around them rushed into them. The Early Worm lifted off of the ground and ascended into the air. As they got to a higher elevation Riku lifted his head and looked at the view. He could see the entirety of the hedge garden and a castle in the center of it. Along the edges of the maze he could see the thick forests him and Hinata had gotten lost in earlier and the rolling hills of flowers and odd colored grass.

He glanced behind him at Hinata, who still had her head buried in his shoulder with her eyes tightly shut. "Hey," he told her, "Open your eyes."

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and looked up at Riku before looking around at the view. Ever so slowly a smile appeared on her face and she relaxed her tight hold around him. "This is kinda amazing."

Riku smirked before getting back to business. He turned his gaze around and called out to the Early Worm. "Could you take us towards the castle?"

"The castle? Why would you ever want to go there?" The worm asked contemplatively, "Like the maze, many people go in and stay a long time. Only they don't usually ever leave."

"We've been looking for a young girl," Riku tried to explain over the loud wind. "And we think she's somewhere over there!"

"Oh well then that is no trouble at all. It won't take me long to get there." The worm reassured them, "Hold on tight!" With a large swoop of its wings, the Early Worm soared towards the castle.

"Be on the lookout for Alice," Riku told Hinata, getting a nod in response.

As they neared the castle, they scanned the ground looking for any sign of her. Then Hinata pointed and yelled, "There she is!"

Riku looked and sure enough Alice was backed up against a hedge wall surrounded by Heartless closing in on her. Leaning forward, Riku yelled, "We need to get to her!"

"Why are the Heartless attacking her?" Hinata asked.

"Maybe they aren't the ones Maleficent can control." He guessed. "But we'll have to be quick, we don' have any weapons."

"Well you do have me!" The worm yelled back to them. "Now you really must hold on tight this time. Going down!"

With a caw the worm suddenly swung downwards, plummeting straight for Alice and the Heartless at an ever increasing speed. Right before hitting the ground he pulled up and slammed its tail against the Heartless; making a large majority of them burst into smoke and the others to fall back stunned. Alice let out a scream in surprise and covered her eyes. When she moved her hands away from her face she saw Riku and Hinata on top of the worm and frantically looked for an escape, but saw none; every possible exit had a stunned Heartless that was beginning to regain mobility.

Riku reached his hand towards Alice, who crossed her arms and tipped her nose upwards. Not in the mood for her games, Riku went straight to the point, "Look, either you come with us or we can leave you here to deal with these creatures. Your choice."

Alice slowly uncrossed her arms and looked at Riku's outstretched hand. "Well… I do wish to leave Wonderland." Ever so slowly she reached her hand towards his.

Hinata noticed one of the Heartless completely regaining mobility as it shook its metal cased head and began charging Alice. Without waiting for Alice to fully make up her mind, she reached down and grabbed Alice's arm, yanking her onto the Early Worm. The moment she was aboard, the Early Worm took off again. Alice screamed as they ascended into the air and held onto the tuft of wings for dear life.

The Early Worm flew them to the edge of the hedge maze right outside the thick forest before lowering to the ground. He landed softly in some grass and lowered his wings to allow them to come off. Alice was still in shock over flying through the air and didn't move until Riku picked her up and carried her off.

"Put me down!" She demanded once they were back on solid ground.

Without replying, Riku put her on the ground and reached for the black device from his pant loop. Alice took a moment to regain her bearings and looked over at the Early Worm that was still there with wide eyes.

"I have seen many odd things here in Wonderland," She admitted. "But this is most definitely one of the oddest."

"Uh, thank you for the help." Hinata told the Early Worm. "I'm sorry for being scared earlier."

The Early Worm chuckled, "No trouble at all. I always enjoy meeting new visitors in Wonderland. I best be off then! Hope to see you again!" Flapping his wings, the worm went back into the sky and flew away.

Alice covered her face to protect herself from the whirlwind that came from the worm flapping its wings; but then suddenly the wind was gone. With confusion, Alice moved her arms out of her face and gasped. She found herself in the cockpit of the ship with Hinata and Riku standing beside her.

She turned in place with her mouth agape. "How in the world did I end up here?"

"I beamed us up," Riku replied as he plopped down in the seat beside him with exhaustion. "We'll be back in Hollow Bastion in a few hours."

Alice's eyes widened. "Hollow… But I already told you I'm not from there! I'm from England!"

"We got you out of Wonderland though, didn't we?" Riku asked her before letting out a yawn.

Alice turned towards Hinata, who had been remaining silent. "You have to take me back!" She demanded of Hinata.

Hinata nervously looked between Riku and Alice before admitting. "We can't. The ship's on auto pilot and is already on route back to Hollow Bastion."

"But…" Alice began to object.

"Maleficent sent us to get you," Hinata told her. "We'll talk to her when we get back and figure out what to do."

Alice's eyes welled up with tears and she turned around, fleeing the cockpit and entering the back living room. Hinata sighed as Alice ran off and sat down in the other seat.

"We're… doing the right thing, right?" She asked Riku.

"Of course we are," He replied with a sleepy voice. His eyes were closed as he leaned back in his seat. "We saved her life."

Hinata slowly nodded and was silent for a couple minutes as she looked out the windshield before pondering aloud. "I wonder who that boy and his two companions were…" When Riku didn't reply, she clarified. "You know, the ones the Cheshire Cat mentioned?"

She waited for a response again, but when she didn't hear one she looked over to Riku and found him fast asleep. A small smile appeared on her face as she stood up from her seat and went to the other room, closing the cockpit door behind her.

Muffle crying immediately caught her attention and she spotted Alice lying face down on one of the beds sobbing. Hinata's heart sank and she quietly walked over to the bed before sitting on the edge of it. "Alice…" She softly said her name.

"Why don't either of you believe me?" Alice cried with a weak voice. "I just want to go home!"

Hinata swallowed a lump in her throat and told her, "That's where we're trying to take you."

"B-but, I don't live where you're taking me!" Alice squeaked.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'll figure it out." Hinata assured her. "I'll make sure you get home."

Alice slowly sat up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Promise?" She sniffled.

Hinata smiled sweetly at her. "I promise. But how about for right now you get some sleep? We have five hours until we're back at Hollow Bastion."

Alice thought about it for a moment before nodding. "I suppose some sleep wouldn't hurt." She sniffled again and wiped away any stray tears. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Hinata," She told her before getting up from the bed.

"Well… thank you, Hinata." Alice looked up at her with reddened eyes. "You have been very kind to me. Today has been rather strange."

Hinata chuckled. "Tell me about it; but you're safe now." She looked absently at the back wall, lost in thought as Alice got under the covers of the bed. "I was wondering, by the way," She looked back at Alice as she snuggled into the bed. "The Cheshire Cat said something about a boy and his two companions coming to save you. Do you know anything about that?"

Alice sleepily nodded, "While I was in the garden these strange creatures attacked the Queen and she had the guards take me to a court room. Then that awful Queen said I was the one who tried to steal her heart even though I hadn't done a single thing wrong!" She yawned as she added. "Then just as she ordered to have my head, a boy stepped in and stopped the trial."

"Do you know who he was?" Hinata asked her.

She shook her head, "No, but he had the strangest friends. A white duck that wore a blue coat and a dog that walked on two legs."

Hinata frowned, "Oh, alright."

Alice glanced up at Hinata, "Do you know them?"

She shook her head, "No, I was just hoping it was one of my friends." She sat down on the bed across from Alice's and added, "But it doesn't sound like it." Looking back at Alice, she asked. "What happened after they stepped in?"

"The Queen demanded that he find evidence to prove my innocence. Then she put me in an awfully cramped cage." Alice explained, "After a long while the boy came back with evidence, and even with that the Queen did not believe him. She had my cage lifted high off the ground and the boy was attacked by the guards."

"How did you escape?" Hinata asked.

"It was the oddest thing." Alice remembered, "I was standing in the cage trying to open it when a strange black portal opened behind me, pulling me through. Then in an instant I was in the hedge garden surrounded by those creatures."

Hinata leaned back in the bed, "A black portal?" The more she heard the more confused she got.

"Yes," Alice responded letting out a large yawn before sleepily adding. "And then… you showed up… and now, I'm here." She rubbed her eyes. "If that's all you wish to know, think I shall rest now."

Hinata smiled, "Alright. I'll let you know when we get to Hollow Bastion." She got up from the bed. "Thank you for telling me what happened."

"Mm-hmm…" Alice quietly replied before completely falling asleep.

"I wonder who that boy was," Hinata whispered to herself. "I hope him and his friends are alright…" Letting out a sigh, she looked around the room, wondering what she should do.

She went to the small fridge by the table and opened it up to find it full of drinks and fruit. With a smile, she grabbed a handful of grapes and snacked on them as she explored the ship. She pulled open every drawer and cupboard she could find, trying to figure out everything that was on the ship. Pulling out a shelf that was underneath the bed Alice was sleeping on, she found a green journal; similar to the one she had been writing in back on the island. She picked it up and found a pen clipped to the side of it.

She brought it with her to the other bed and lied down on her back before she flipped through the pages. Each page was blank from what she could see and the outside of it seemed to be completely new.

She looked at the front and back cover of it before muttering. "What is a brand new journal doing in here?"

Everywhere else she had looked had been filled with practical things such as tools for the ship or nonperishable food. She had even found a few simple articles of clothing in the bathroom; yet this was the first thing she found that didn't seem to have any practical use.

Giving a shrug, Hinata grabbed the pen off the side and turned the journal to the first page. "Might as well make good use of it." She mumbled.

She flipped to lie on her stomach and spent the next few hours recording everything that had happened from when she first arrived on the island to the present. Time flew by and before she knew it the intercom of the ship was alerting her to their arrival to Hollow Bastion. She closed the journal and tossed it onto the bed as she got up. She struggled to keep her balance as the ship shook from landing, but despite the shaking, she didn't hear any stirring from Alice or Riku. Within seconds the shaking ceased and the ship's engine powered down. Hinata stood in silence for a moment, wondering what to do. She did not have to wonder long as a green cloud of mist appeared right beside the bed where Alice slept. Hinata jumped back and immediately tensed when she saw Maleficent replacing the mist.

Maleficent stared down at Alice with an unsettling smile on her face, she barely glanced over at Hinata as she greeted. "Welcome back, I trust everything went smoothly."

"I guess you could say that," Hinata replied uneasily. She watched as Maleficent examined Alice and asked. "What do you want with her?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Maleficent asked, finally looking over at Hinata. "I told you she ran away, did I not?"

"She told us she's never heard of Hollow Bastion," Hinata told her.

"And you would take the word of a child over my own?" She asked her.

"Maybe," Hinata replied curtly. "It's not like you've really done much to make me trust you."

"I gave you refuge, nourishment, and a chance to find your friends," Maleficent told her, looking back to Alice. "What more do you desire?"

"The truth," Hinata simply replied.

A smirk appeared on Maleficent's face but since she was turned away, Hinata was unable to notice. "It is up to you if you wish to believe what I say. What does that boy have to say about it? Does he agree I am misleading you?"

Hinata uncomfortably shifted her weight, not wanting to address it. "Don't bring any harm to her."

She waved her hand gracefully and assured her. "I would never dream of it." Before Hinata could ask anything else, she lifted her staff and hit it on the ground; instantly covering her and Alice in a green mist and disappearing from sight.

"No!" Hinata called when she saw what Maleficent was doing. She ran forward, but they were already gone. She put her hand over her forehead and sighed. "I hope she's safe." But even as she said the words a feeling in her gut told her she wasn't. Shaking her head, she tried to avert her thoughts and looked over at the door that led to the cockpit. "Might as well wake Riku."

She walked over to the door and pressed the button on the side to slide it open. The moment it opened she found Riku still fast asleep in the chair. She silently giggled to herself as she walked towards him and sat down in the chair across from him.

Reaching forward, she placed her hand on his knee and gently shook it, but it didn't seem to cause any reaction. She tried softly saying his name and that also bared no result. Sitting back in her seat, she pondered the best way to wake him without startling him or being rough. Then her mind flashed to their first kiss in the secret cave.

She shook her head as her heart fluttered. "Why am I thinking about that right now?" She asked before realizing, "Although… that might not be such a bad way to wake up…" A deep blush appeared on her cheeks as she got out of her seat and knelt in front of Riku. Her heart began to race and nervous sweat appeared on her palms. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's just a kiss…" She whispered in encouragement to herself. "You've already kissed him before, just do it."

Taking a deep breath she lifted one of her hands and rested it against his cheek. Her heart jumped when he sighed and leaned into her touch with a sleepy smile on his face. She sweetly smiled from his reaction and was about to lean forward before he began opening his eyes. He sleepily looked at her as the smile on his face grew.

He cleared his throat and hoarsely whispered, "Hey."

Rather than reply, Hinata went through with her plan and leaned forward, meeting her lips with his. At first Riku was stiff, taken aback by the sudden affection. This caused Hinata to pull back in an embarrassed fit, her entire face flushed with humiliation.

"I-I'm sorry," She stammered as she scrambled to stand up. "I don't know what I was thinking."

Before she could completely stand, Riku grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to his level. Moving his other hand behind her neck he brought her lips to his, giving her a proper kiss. Hinata melted in his touch and kissed him back, feeling her embarrassment fade away.

When he broke the kiss he told her, "Its fine; just caught me by surprise."

Hinata smiled, lost in his eyes. "Funny," She softly commented, "A couple days ago you were the one nervous to kiss me."

He chuckled, "Yeah, well after making it through a place like Wonderland, kissing doesn't seem so scary anymore."

She giggled in response, leaning forward and giving him another short kiss before standing up. Riku stretched his arms and rubbed his sore neck before he also stood.

"Where is Alice?" He asked as he walked out of the cockpit.

"Oh, uh, Maleficent took her when we got here." Hinata explained as she walked up beside him. "I hope she's alright. She was pretty shaken when she found out we were taking her here."

"I'm sure she's fine." He assured her as he put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple.

Hinata's cheeks blushed and she giggled. "I had no idea you could be so affectionate when you first wake up."

He ran his hand along her arm and smirked. "Well you did kiss me right when I woke up."

She smiled, "True."

Riku moved his arm from around her shoulder and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers. "Did Maleficent say what we're supposed to do now?" He asked as he led the way out of the gummi ship.

Hinata's smile momentarily went away, "Uh, no. I was sort of grilling her when she got here and I think I made her mad, because she teleported away in the middle of us talking."

A sigh escaped Riku and he nodded his head. "Well alright then. Hopefully she'll find us when she has news about Sora and Kairi."

"Or has another favor she wants us to do," She replied with a sigh.

Riku was silent for a moment before suggesting, "Let's not talk about her or any of that stuff right now. If we have free time, I'd rather enjoy it."

Hinata smiled and ran her thumb along his hand. "I'm up for that."

"Good," he replied with a smirk.

They looked around at the other ships parked in the hangar bay as they walked. Their footsteps echoed through the vast room until they reached the metal sliding doors that led out of the bay entirely.

"I guess we'll get to explore the castle finally." Hinata commented as she reached forward and pressed a large button on the wall beside the door to open it.

To their surprise, when the door opened it led right into the room Maleficent had made up for them. Both of them exchanged looks of confusion as they tried to figure out how that was possible.

Hinata sighed. "She really doesn't want us exploring does she?"

"I thought you said you wouldn't talk about her anymore?" He reminded her with a smirk.

"It's hard not to when she pulls tricks like this." Hinata pointed to the room.

"Well come on," He pulled on her hand as he walked into the room. "If we can't explore the castle we can at least get some rest. I'm still tired."

Hinata followed after him into the room. The moment they were both inside, the door behind them slid closed faster than usual. They turned around to look and saw that the once metal doors of the hangar bay were replaced by the single wooden door that led to the halls of the castle.

"This place hurts my brain," Hinata commented, making Riku laugh.

He released her hand and went straight for the bed. He sat down along the edge and took off his shoes before leaning back on the bed entirely, letting out a relaxed breath. "Finally," He breathed out. "I almost forgot what a bed felt like."

Hinata giggled before looking towards the bathroom. "Well if we're going to be stuck in here, I'm going to take a shower."

"Uh-huh," he replied half-mindedly as he closed his eyes and took in the plush comfort around him.

Rolling her eyes, Hinata turned and walked into the fancily furnished bathroom. As she opened the door that had a walk in shower inside, she was surprised to see a pile of folded clothes on top of a counter. She picked up the blue tank top that was lying on top and suddenly felt uneasy as she realized it was just her size. With a bit of a frown she looked back down at the clothes and noticed a couple outfits for Riku as well.

"How did she know our sizes?" She asked herself. Putting down the clothes, she shook her head, "Never mind, I probably don't want to know."

About twenty minutes passed before Hinata reemerged from the steaming shower. She towel dried her hair as she walked into the bedroom. Despite her apprehension of the new clothes, she wore the blue tank top she had found and a pair of black shorts that hugged her hips. She tossed the damp towel into another hamper by a nearby dresser before approaching the bed. Riku was completely snuggled up under the covers on the right side of the bed, already asleep. Hinata smiled and grabbed the edge of the comforter to pull it back and climb in herself; but she paused. They had never been in the same bed before, let alone taken a nap together. She blushed and looked around the room. There wasn't any other place to sit or relax.

"I could sit on the floor," She suggested to herself as she began letting go of the blanket. She looked back to Riku fast asleep. "But… I'm sure he wouldn't mind me in the bed. He's not even awake."

Despite her nerves, she re grabbed the blanket and pulled it back enough so she could climb in. She stayed as close to the edge of the bed as she could, making sure she wasn't in any way accidentally brushing up against him before pulling the blanket back over herself. Her heart raced in her chest, but the plush blanket around her helped her calm down. A wave of exhaustion washed over her and before she knew it, she too was fast asleep.

A knock on the door startled her awake some time later and her eyes shot open. It took her a moment to realize where she was and as she regained her bearings she felt something wrapped around her waist as well as something warm pressed up against her back. She reached her hand down towards her waist and discovered that it was an arm holding her close. Her cheeks blushed as she realized it was Riku pressed up against her. Sometime while they had been asleep they moved closer together and held each other while they slept.

Her face was burning as she cleared her throat, "Uh, R-Riku?" She squeaked.

"Hmm?" He asked as his arm tightened around her.

Another knock on the door helped stir him further awake. He groaned as he opened his eyes and he immediately froze when he saw Hinata right in front of him. Without saying anything he drew back his arm around her waist and cleared his throat as he sat up.

"S-sorry about that," he unusually stammered, his face flushed.

"Its fine," She assured him. "That was the best I've slept in a while."

He was silent for a moment before admitting, "Me too."

A third time, someone knocked on their door, this time impatiently.

"I, uh, better get that." Riku cleared his throat again and stood from the bed before going over to the door.

He opened it to see Maleficent standing in the hall with an annoyed frown on her face. She quickly replaced her frown with a strained smile and walked into the room. Hinata pulled up her blanket when she saw Maleficent enter the room, feeling immediately perturbed.

"Glad to see you both are awake." Maleficent greeted them. "I have another mission for you."


	16. New Mission

Chapter 16

 

"Another mission?" Riku asked. "I thought you said that all we had to do was get Alice?"

"If you would rather I can leave you confined to this room." Maleficent replied, "I simply thought you would enjoy getting out and exploring other worlds."

Pushing back the comforter that was still covering her legs, Hinata stood from the bed and crossed her arms. "Before we even consider going somewhere else for you, you're going to need to answer a few questions."

Maleficent looked over at Hinata and asked. "Such as?"

"Where's Alice?" She asked while ignoring the look Riku gave her in response.

"Where she belongs." Maleficent replied.

"Which is where exactly?" She asked, not backing down.

Maleficent was silent for a moment before telling her. "With her family in the main town. They are in your debt for returning their precious daughter."

"Can I see her?"

"I'm afraid not," Maleficent shook her head. "Her family has requested privacy."

"But if we're the ones that brought her home, wouldn't her family want to meet us?"

Maleficent let out a faint sigh and replied shortly. "I cannot answer that. I do not know their reasoning. Now are there any other questions you wish to ask?"

"Yeah, actually." Riku spoke up, making both Hinata and Maleficent look over at him. "I want to know more about those Heartless. In that garden at Wonderland they listened to us and even protected us from the guards; but later we saw them trying to attack Alice. Why was that?"

"Those particular Heartless that were attacking were not under my control." Maleficent explained. "I steep into the darkness to control a small group; yet many others act beyond my control." She was silent for a moment, as if waiting for either of them to ask another question. After a few seconds she continued. "If that is all, I must request we prepare for the next mission. There is not much time."

"What type of mission is it?" Riku asked a bit warily.

"I'm very glad you asked," She replied as she lifted her staff into the air. "Allow me to show you."

Hitting the staff on the ground a mist surrounded them and instantly transported them across the castle. When the mist dissipated, they found themselves in an almost completely black room with only a small amount of light coming from a stone pedestal in the center of the area. On top of the pedestal was a glowing image of what appeared to be a black cauldron. Hinata and Riku exchanged uneasy glances as they walked over to the pedestal where Maleficent was already waiting for them.

Hinata stared at the black cauldron and slowly asked. "What exactly are you wanting us to do?"

"You are to retrieve or destroy this cauldron from a world called Prydain." Maleficent began, "This cauldron has the capability of bringing the breath of life to the dead."

"Something tells me this isn't going to be a simple pick up mission." Riku commented as he crossed his arms.

"Indeed, you are correct," Maleficent told him.

She waved her hand over the cauldron, making the image ripple and transform into a tall harrowing figure. It appeared to be a man wearing dark tattered robes that covered a majority of his body. Four sharp horns made of bone protruded from his head as he glowered around him with two glowing red eyes. Hinata swallowed hard as she stared at the man, feeling even more perturbed than she did standing beside Maleficent.

"This is the Horned King, the ruler of Prydain." Maleficent began to explain. "He is fervently searching for the cauldron and if he succeeds in retrieving it he will use its powers to create an indestructible army."

"Why not send your Heartless to take it out?" Riku asked. "Why send us?"

"This mission must be handled with the upmost caution," Maleficent explained. "The Horned King must have no knowledge of our intentions. If I were to send an army in…"

"He'd see them and could fight back." Riku finished. "Why does it matter what he does, anyways?"

"If he succeeds in creating his indestructible army, they could very easily spread across the galaxy and nothing could stand against them." She replied.

"And you're trusting us to do this?" Hinata asked. "Are you sure that's the best idea? I mean, it's not like we've really had that much experience and if we fail, what does that mean for Prydain and all those other worlds out there?"

"What King would suspect two children conspiring against him?" Maleficent waved her hand with a smirk.

"We're not kids," Riku told her with a short tone.

"Regardless of your age, with only the two of you, the Horned King will not so easily catch on to your plans."

Hinata stared at the glowing image of the King, feeling more anxious about it by the second. Letting out a deep breath, she commented. "If we're going to do this, we're going to need weapons."

"Why of course," Maleficent smirked. "Both of you will be equipped with weapons and communication devices."

With a small nod, Hinata glanced over at Riku, "What do you think?" She asked him.

"I think we can do it." He told her. "And it's another new world to see."

A frown tugged on the corner of her mouth as she looked back to the Horned King. The longer she stared at him the more unsure she was about the mission; but taking a deep breath she said. "All right; let's do it."

"Then let us begin the preparations." Maleficent told them before once again teleporting them out of the room.

They reappeared in a vast library. Tall cathedral windows with stained glass lined the two story walls, bringing a natural light to the entire room. Copper pipes randomly protruded from the ceiling with blue sparks occasionally flickering at the seams. A round stairwell went along the wall, leading to a second floor filled with more stuffed bookshelves. Hinata looked around as she walked forward to a square table that stood beside the staircase.

Maleficent cleared her throat, making Hinata spin around to face her. Raising her free hand she summoned two books from their shelves and they flew to float in front of her. "These particular books have extensive history on Prydain and the Horned King; I suggest reading them on your journey."

A genuine smile appeared on Hinata's face as she stepped forward and grabbed the floating books. "Will do," She replied with a bit of a chime in her voice as Riku smiled and rolled his eyes at her excitement.

"Now your weapons," Maleficent hit her staff on the ground, teleporting them away.

As the mist dissipated and they appeared back in the dark hallways, Hinata coughed from the stench of the mist. "Can't we walk anywhere?"

"We must make haste," Maleficent told her. "Walking would only take what little time you have."

Hinata sighed, "Fine."

As Maleficent moved towards a door ahead of them, Hinata readjusted the books in her arms, until Riku came over and grabbed them from her.

"You're holding them wrong." He whispered to her with a smirk.

She opened her mouth to object before chuckling under her breath. "How do you hold books wrong?"

He shrugged, making her giggle in response. Maleficent cleared her throat, catching their attention. They looked over to her, seeing her standing by two opened double doors. Walking over, their mouths went agape when they saw the multitude of weapons before them in the castle's armory. The walls were a dark red and a bright furnace crackled in the center of the room. Along the walls from the floor to the ceiling was lined with different weapons. Riku put the books on the ground before walking into the room. He noticed Hinata instantly gravitate towards a pair of dao blades hung crisscrossed on the other side of the room. He scanned the weapons around him, noticing a one-handed blade with a dark blue curved hilt hanging right in front of him. It was still inside its brown sheath with gold and blue details sewn into it. He reached up and picked it up from its mount. Holding it in front of him he grabbed a hold of the hilt and unsheathed it. Its blade was polished and sharp, more so than any blade he had ever seen. With a smirk, he put the blade back in its sheath before turning towards Hinata, seeing her already tying a belt around her waist with sheaths holding her new dao blades on her hips.

She walked over to him with a skip in her step. "Finally a place where I feel comfortable." She whispered.

He chuckled. "You and me both."

"Are you ready to depart?" Maleficent cut in on their conversation.

"And that moment's over." Hinata sighed, making Riku chuckle.

They turned and walked out of the armory, but not before giving the room one more look over. Riku made sure to re grab the books before coming out of the room completely. Once they were out, Maleficent closed the doors and waited a couple seconds before reopening them, showing the way into the gummi ship hangar bay.

Hinata looked over at Riku in confusion before looking back to the hangar bay in front of them. "Is there an actual entrance to this place or do you have to magically teleport here every time?"

Without replying spare for a slight sigh, Maleficent entered the hangar bay, making the teens walk behind her. She led the way to the same gummi ship they had taken to Wonderland and opened the door. As Riku and Hinata entered the ship to put down their things, she told them. "It is the upmost important do you not reveal that either are you from another world. Doing so could alert the King to your intentions."

"Won't our clothes give it away?" Hinata asked as she glanced down at the pajamas she still wore. "We're going to a place of kings and cauldrons, I'm pretty sure our clothes won't fit in there."

Maleficent let out a long sigh, barely hiding her loss of patience with them. "There is a magic drive on your ship that will change your clothes to match the culture of the world. Now be on your way and do not fail me." With that she turned around, allowing the door to the ship to slide closed behind her.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Hinata commented once she was gone. "Then again, she always seems to be in a bad mood." She was silent for a moment before adding. "I still don't really understand why she's sending us on this mission. It seems too big for us."

"It'll be fine," Riku told her as he walked to the cockpit to watch the takeoff. He sat down in one of the seats and glanced back at Hinata as she entered as well. "I don't really care why she wants us to do it. Beats staying in that castle all day."

"That castle freaks me out." Hinata admitted as she sat in the chair beside him. "Or maybe its Maleficent that freaks me out… Probably both."

She held onto the console in front of her as the ship began to shake from the takeoff. Within a few minutes they were lifted off the ground and ascended into space. They looked at the multitude of stars around them before the Light Speed Drive kicked in and the stars turned into white streaks.

Hinata sat back in her seat and let out a breath. "How long is this flight going to be?"

"Your destination will be reached in… seven hours." The intercom replied before Riku reached forward and shut it off.

"That's even longer than our last trip." Hinata noted.

"At least we have those books to read. That will keep you occupied at least."

"Oh yeah," She smiled, standing up from her seat. "I almost forgot about that."

Riku got up with her and walked to one of the beds in the next room where he had placed the books. Grabbing the top one that was supposedly about the Horned King, he climbed onto the bed and leaned his back against the wall. Hinata grabbed the next book about Prydain's history and climbed onto the same bed before lying back, leaning her head on Riku's lap.

Opening the book, she asked Riku. "Is this all right?"

"Is what all right?" he asked, opening his own book.

"Where I'm laying right now?" She asked him, glancing up at him. "You don't mind me lying on your lap?"

His cheeks flushed and he laughed under his breath. "I don't mind at all." He ran one of his hands through her hair, "It's kind of nice."

She smiled back at him before beginning to read her book. "Even though these rides are long, they're sort of nice."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Well yeah, it's like the only time we aren't having to worry about someone listening in on us or worry about some mission we have to complete. It's just a nice time to relax and spend time together." She replied.

"I agree," He smiled.

They fell to silence as they began reading their books. A comfortable couple of hours passed before Hinata spoke up again. "It's kind of odd to think that just a couple days ago we were back on the island. It seems so long ago."

"I know," He agreed, putting his book down. "So much has happened."

"Yeah…" She replied softly as she also closed her book and leaned in on her chest. "I still don't really understand everything that happened on the island."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

She sat up and turned to face him. "I mean. How could a storm suddenly appear out of nowhere and destroy an entire world. I thought there are usually weather warnings about crazy storms; but the one that happened that night had no warning. It didn't seem natural."

Riku tensed a bit before he shortly replied, "Yeah."

"I guess I just wonder what could have caused it," She admitted before asking. "Did you notice anything weird at the island? You were outside for all of it, weren't you?"

He opened his mouth to reply before clearing his throat. "Uh- no… I didn't notice anything. I was just as surprised as you."

Hinata looked at him unconvinced. "Are you sure?" When he gave her a look, she quickly explained. "It's just… you seemed really calm when I found you and you were saying a lot of weird things."

"Hinata…" He sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We talked about this. There isn't any good explanation; I don't know where those words came from."

"All right," She softly replied, forcing herself to drop it. She looked down at the comforter of the bed and absently traced a circle into it with her finger. After a few seconds of tense silence, she spoke up. "After we passed out when that dark stuff surrounded us, I had a strange dream." She glanced up to see Riku looking at her and she continued explaining. "I was outside in a garden and Aiko was there."

"How did you know it was her?" Riku asked.

"I didn't as first," She admitted. "I asked her who she was and she got sad that I didn't remember her." A sad smile appeared on her face as she looked away. "Then I just knew it was her. I can't believe I forgot what she looked like."

Riku reached over and grabbed her hand, making her look over at him. He had a small smile on his face.

She smiled back at him and took a deep breath before continuing. "But it was just so strange… I actually thought I was there. I could smell the flowers and feel the sun on my face." She shook her head. "I've never had a realistic dream like that before."

She looked down at their clasped hands as she thought over the dream. Riku glanced up at her and slightly smiled at the way her eyebrows were knitted together. After a couple minutes of silence, he squeezed her hand, bringing her back to reality. She quickly looked back up at him with a questioning look.

"Are you there?" He asked her with a laugh in his voice. "You spaced out a bit."

Hinata half-smiled, "Uh, yeah, sorry. Just thinking about it." She shook her head before asking. "Did you have any weird dreams when we went unconscious?"

The smile on Riku's face swiftly disappeared as he leaned his head against the wall and absently stared up at the ceiling. "No," He replied. "I didn't even realize I lost consciousness."

"Really?" She asked him. "What happened?"

She noticed him tense up before he answered. "I was…" His voice trailed off before he cleared his throat. "Surrounded by this dense blackness. No matter where I looked or how far I ran, I couldn't escape it."

"I was too," She replied, making him look back at her in surprise. "I mean, before I saw Aiko." She clarified with a bit of uneasiness. "I suddenly felt incredibly empty and alone, like as if the darkness was sapping everything from me." She uncomfortably shifted her weight before adding, "But just when I realized I was completely alone, that's when Aiko arrived and I was suddenly in that garden… it was strange."

"Yeah…" Riku agreed.

They fell back to silence as they both got lost in their thoughts. Hinata moved to be against the wall beside Riku, eventually leaning her head on his shoulder.

"What did we get ourselves into?" She asked him with a quiet voice.

Riku lightly scoffed as he leaned his cheek against her head. "You asked me that yesterday."

"I'm still wondering," She replied with a small laugh in her voice.

"Me too." He admitted.

"I wonder how Sora and Kairi are doing." She mused.

"Sora's probably sleeping."

Hinata giggled. "And if Kairi's with him she's probably yelling at him about it."

"Yeah," He replied with a laugh. "They're hopeless."

"I hope they're all right."

Riku nodded but didn't reply, not wanting to admit he was worried about it. They fell back to a comfortable silence as Riku stared up at the ceiling of the ship. A few minutes passed before Riku noticed a soft quiet snore coming from Hinata.

"She fell asleep," he whispered as he rolled his eyes with a smirk on his face.

Not wanting to disturb her, he reached forward to re grab the book he had been reading earlier before noticing a green journal beside it. Grabbing it, he looked at it, noticing a pen clasped to the side. He opened it and was surprised to see Hinata's handwriting filling the pages. Without thinking he started to read it but quickly shook his head and closed it.

"I should probably ask first," he told himself. He looked at it with a smile before setting it back down and grabbing his book.

He read in comfortable silence for a while, flushing a bit whenever Hinata would nuzzle into him to get more comfortable. By the time he had finished the first few chapters of the book, Hinata was basically on top of him. Her head was against his chest and her arm around his waist. One of her legs was intertwined with his with her other one pressed up against him. He had one of his arms behind her back, holding her close. Despite it being closer than they had ever been, it felt relaxing and natural. A few times Riku fought the urge to fall asleep as well, but a rumble of his empty stomach caused him to finally break free of Hinata.

He carefully wormed his way out of her hold, careful not to disturb her. Once he was free and standing on his own, he looked down to see Hinata hugging the pillow close as she slumbered away. With a slight snicker, he placed the comforter over her before turning away and walking over to the fridge to grab some food.

The rest of the trip went quietly. Hinata slept as Riku ate and continued his reading. Before he knew it the ship came to a halt. He stood from his seat at the kitchen table and went to the cockpit, seeing the new planet below. It was different from Wonderland. Greenery and random bodies of water was basically all that could be seen through the thin layer of clouds surrounding it.

Riku looked away from the world and went back to awaken Hinata. She still slept away, completely unaware as she knocked the books that had been on the bed with her to the ground. Riku knelt down to her level and leaned forward, giving her a small kiss on her cheek.

She sleepily sighed from the touch and snuggled a bit more into the blanket Riku had put on top of her earlier, before fluttering her eyes open. A small smile appeared on her face as she saw him in front of her.

"Did I sleep in again?" She asked with a hoarse voice.

Riku put his head down and laughed, "Where do you think you are?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, before her tired mind began catching up with reality. "Oh… wait. I'm not on the island, am I?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Afraid not," He told her as he stood up and crossed his arms. "But we did just reach Prydain."

She nodded as she stretched her stiff muscles. "I'm surprised I fell asleep."

"I'm not," he laughed.

Hinata stumbled as she got up from the bed, but then stood up straight. "Whatever," She smirked at him before walking over to the other bed to grab her dao blades.

She tied the brown belt around her hips, having a dao blade on either side of her. It was simple leather sheathing with a gold buckle tying it all together. Riku came up beside her and grabbed his own sheath for his one-handed sword and buckled it in front of his chest, allowing the blade to rest along his back.

Once both of them were ready, they walked to the cockpit of the ship and each grabbed a black communications device that was waiting for them above the navigation. Hinata clipped hers to her belt and Riku to his belt loop just as he had done in Wonderland.

"I'm still a bit nervous," Hinata confessed. "What if we can't do this?"

"You need to be more confident," He told her, reaching forward for one of her hands. "We'll be fine."

Hinata squeezed his hand back before giving a nod, "Yeah, you're right." She took a deep breath, "Let's do this."

Riku smiled as he let go of her hand and pressed down on a certain button on the control board. A bright light surrounded them and the moment it was gone they found themselves in the middle of a farm in a forest clearing. Lush green grass surrounded them and tall thick trees lined the area. A babbling brook splashed sparkling water as its sounds mixed with the calls of various farm animals. Across the brook stood a wooden home with a dome straw roof and the light from a fireplace emanating through the first floor window.

"Well this is nice," Hinata commented as she scanned the area. "We're right by some people too, so we can ask them about the cauldron." When Riku didn't reply, she turned to face him and saw him staring at her clothes. "What is it?" She asked as she looked down.

She let out a groan as she realized she was wearing a dress. A brown corset was snug around her waist and chest with a darker brown string lacing up the center. From the top corners of the corset, extra fabric went up around her neck like a choker; keeping the skin between the top of her chest to the bottom of her neck exposed in a semi-triangular shape. Flowing out of the corset around her hips, white fabric went down to the ground, causing it the brush against the grass with every step. Brown fingerless gloves that matched the texture of the corset went up her from her hands to her elbows, with the same darker brown string lacing up the front. She reached up to her hair, finding it flowing freely down her back with the top of it braided around her head like a crown.

"I really should have expected something like this," Hinata sighed as she looked back up at Riku, whose eyes were still fixated on her; particularly her corset.

"Wow," he breathed, "You look… amazing."

Hinata's cheeks flushed as she grabbed a bit of the white fabric and held it out. "You really think so?" She looked up at him and smirked. "You don't look half-bad yourself."

Long dull blue fabric was draped around his neck like a scarf before falling behind him, serving something as a cape. Underneath was a dark gray tunic with short half-sleeves that showcased his toned arms. The sheath of his blade had been moved to a brown belt right above his hips. His tunic continued under the belt to mid-thigh, before ending above a pair of black pants that tucked into brown boots.

"This… isn't what I would have picked to wear." Riku admitted after getting a good look at his new clothes.

Hinata chuckled, "You and me both; but I think it suits you."

Riku looked back up at her and motioned towards her, "You too. You should wear things like that more often."

"Yeah, I think it'd be a bit weird to walk around wearing a corset all the time." She told him as she wriggled uncomfortably. "It's hard to breath in it."

"Who are you two?" A young boy's voice caught their attention.

Hinata turned around to see a red headed boy about their height standing a few feet away from them. A mustardy yellow vest was loose around his thin body, over his long sleeve tan shirt. He had his arms crossed with a frown on his face as if he was trying to seem as intimidating as possible.

"Oh," Hinata spoke up, unsure of exactly what to say. Lifting her hand she half-pointed towards him. "That's a very good question."

Riku scoffed and stepped forward. "We're travelers and just stumbled here by accident. We're looking for something called the black cauldron, you've heard of it?"

"Never," He shook his head, "What type of travelers are you? You aren't even carrying any luggage with you."

"We travel light," Riku shortly told him, "But we'll get off your farm, just thought we'd ask." He reached over and grabbed Hinata's arm, "Come on."

"Oh, all right," She half-heartedly agreed as he turned them around.

As they walked away, the boy called, "Hey wait a second!"

Riku stopped walking but didn't look back.

"How does she have swords?" The boy asked, motioning his head towards the blades strapped to Hinata's hips.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, turning around to face him.

"How much can a girl possibly know about swords?" The boy asked.

Giving him a look, she crossed her arms and retorted, "More than you." She noticed Riku snicker at her words.

"More than me?" The boy repeated almost incredulously. Striking a smug heroic pose he told her, "I am the famous warrior, Taran of Caer Dallben!" He choked on the last word and admitted sheepishly, "Or, at least I will be someday." Clearing his throat, Taran went back to being smug. "But if you're so good with weapons, I challenge you to a duel!"

"Are you serious?" Hinata laughed.

"We really don't have the time," Riku replied, giving Hinata a look.

"No, I think we can make time for this," Hinata waved him off as she walked forward. "All right Taran of Caer Dallben, show me what you've got."

Riku sighed but couldn't help but smile from Hinata's hidden competitive nature. Crossing his arms, he stood back and watched the theatrics unfold with subtle amusement.

Taran reached down and grabbed a good sized tree branch. Hinata did the same as to help even the odds. She looked at Taran standing across from her, loosely holding his tree branch in what Hinata assumed was what he considered a fighting stance. Trying to hold back her smile, she simply held her branch at her side and waited for him to make the first move.

She didn't have to wait long as he lunged towards her, sloppily swinging his branch towards her shoulder. With a simple footwork, she spun to the left as he approached and whacked him against the back, causing him to fall face forward into a nearby puddle of mud. Hinata gasped as he splashed head first into the sludge and dropped her weapon before bringing her hands to her mouth.

"I-I'm sorry!" She stammered. "I only meant to make you stumble." She heard Riku poorly hiding his laughter and shot him a glare.

Taran coughed as he pushed himself to sit up and shoved the mud out of his eyes. "That was a cheap trick!" He complained.

Before Hinata could defend herself, a pig squeal caught her attention. She turned around to see a plump pink pig scamper out of a wooden dog house surrounded by a fence before heading straight for Taran. Without care, it splashed into the mud with Taran and nuzzled his face with a trail of worried oinks.

Taran patted the pig on the head to calm it, his rosy embarrassed cheeks visible through the smears of mud. "It's all right, Hen Wen."

"Taran!" A ragged voice yelled from the house as an elderly balding man stomped out to them. "You're supposed to be taking care of Hen Wen, not getting her dirty!"

Hinata quickly scurried over to Riku as Taran scrambled to his feet and fruitlessly attempted to wipe off the mud on his clothes.

"D-Dallben," Taran stammered. "I was just…"

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" Dallben scolded him before he noticed Riku and Hinata. Turning towards them, he eyes them with his big eyes. "And who are you two supposed to be?"

Riku opened his mouth to reply before Taran blurted, "They're travelers looking for something called the Black Cauldron!"

Dallben's already large eyes widened as he stuttered, "T-the Black Cauldron?!" He suddenly reached forward and grabbed Taran, pulling him towards him protectively. "What do you want with that cursed thing?!" Without waiting for them to reply he angrily pointed towards the forest, "You are not welcomed here!"

"What?" Hinata asked stepping forward, "We aren't here to cause trouble."

Riku grabbed her arm, "We should do as he says, come on."

She let out a breath before reluctantly turning away and walking with Riku into the forest. Once they were out of sight of the farm, she spoke up. "Well that was wasted."

"Yeah, try not to get into any more cat fights, all right?" He told her.

"Cat fights?" She repeated with a bit of a laugh. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He made one comment," he reminded her. "And you put the entire mission on hold to teach him a lesson."

She fell silent and looked to the ground slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll work on that." She heard Riku chuckle and she glanced up at him. "What?"

"Nothing," he shrugged, "I was just thinking you're kind of cute when you're wrong."

"Shut up," She laughed, playfully shoving him and making him laugh in response. They continued to walk for a few minutes, before Hinata asked. "So where are we headed now then? Do you have some idea of where to go?"

"Actually, yeah," He replied. Pointing towards a mountain in the distance, he told her. "I figure if we get to the top of one of these mountains, we might be able to get a good view of the world around us. Down here with all these trees we have no idea which way to go."

Hinata looked up at the dense trees. Their leaves were bunched so close together that barely any sun rays were able to peek through the canopy. Ahead of them the terrain appeared to be gradually rising in elevation as it turned into a mountain.

"What type of thing are we looking for when we get to the mountain top?" She asked.

"In one of the books I read it said that there are a ton of castles all over Prydain where the King's hired men stay." Riku explained. "I figure we could sneak into one of those places and listen for some gossip about the cauldron or something."

Hinata nodded and added, "Because if the Horned King is already looking for the cauldron, he might have some leads that we don't." She smirked and looked over at him. "That's a great idea."

"I have my moments," he shrugged smugly.

"Did you learn anything interesting from those books?" She asked as they began walking up the side of the mountain. "I only got a couple chapters in with my book."

"Not really," He admitted. "Basically learned how the King became the ruler and heard about all the awful stuff he's done as King. Sort of made me glad we didn't end up in his castle rather than Hollow Bastion."

"Yikes," Hinata replied. "He must be bad. I hope we don't run into him."

"Yeah," He nodded. "I doubt he'll be at the same castle we find."

"I guess we'll find out."

They continued to climb the side of the mountain, occasionally exchanging conversation before falling to silence when their trek became steep. They pulled themselves up the high rocks, feeling the cold rough winds around them as they reached higher elevation. Every once and a while they would hear a random roar, as if from some large creature, echoing through the mountain ranges; yet they never caught sight of it.

It wasn't until almost an hour later that they finally reached the top of the mountain. Riku got up first and held out his hand to help Hinata up. Once she was standing beside him, she ran her hands over her seemingly frozen arms; shivering as even harsher winds blew past her. Riku scanned the area, seeing miles upon miles of the tops of trees spread out before them. Then out in the distance in the east he spotted a dark castle shrouded in mist in the middle of a chasm.

Placing his hand on Hinata's shoulder, he pointed it out to her. "Over there."

Hinata followed his gaze and felt her heart jump when she saw what he was referring to. "That? That's where we're going? It looks like something out of a horror film."

"Except, unlike all those characters in horror movies, we actually have weapons to defend ourselves." He pointed out to her as he already began walking towards the castle. He noticed Hinata's reluctance to follow him and he called behind him. "We'll be fine! Stop worrying so much."

Hinata stared out at the spooky castle with uneasiness set in her gut, but shaking her head she followed after Riku. "Hey, wait up!" She called after him.

As they walked down the mountain towards the castle, they noticed the surrounding trees beginning to blacken. The leaves were dead and crumpled on the ground as thick black thorny vines twisted around the tree roots. Dark clouds shrouded the sky, rumbling with thunder and flashing lightning in every which direction. A purple mist appeared around them, swirling and cloaking their surroundings. Soon they reached a stone cliff that led to a thin pathway across the chasm to the daunting castle. They could see creatures that looked similar to dragons circling the top of the castle while letting out the same roars they had heard earlier.

"Who would want to live in that?" Hinata asked, feeling a wave of shivers run through her.

"Mercenaries, bounty hunters, anyone that's guaranteed protection under the King." Riku replied as he walked forward onto the thin stone path. As he stepped onto it, a piece of the side crumbled off, falling into the thick mist that made it impossible to see how deep the chasm was. Glancing behind him, he warned. "Watch your step, I'm not sure how stable this road is."

"I suppose a crumbling bridge would fit this place." Hinata sighed as she followed behind Riku.

As they carefully made their way along the winding path, Hinata looked up at the castle towering above them. She couldn't tell exactly what it was made of. It had multiple spires, but they were malformed and decaying. Black thorny vines, like they had seen in the forest before twisted in between the stone bricks and wooden piers that attempted to hold the building in place. Torches were randomly lit along the walls; but they were in odd uneven places and provided little light to the thick darkness surrounding it.

They finally came up to the base of the building and saw a grated metal gate blocking their entrance, without a guard in sight. Riku approached the gate and grabbed it as if trying to pull it free or open it; but it didn't budge.

"There's a window over there," Hinata pointed out.

A little off to the side of the castle was a rectangular window with flickering torchlight bouncing off of it that appeared reachable. Riku went over first. He grabbed a hold of a thorny branch and hoisted himself onto the wall, the stone crumbling underneath his feet with every step. Making it to the window, he peeked inside to make sure the way was clear before nodding down to Hinata. He climbed inside as Hinata walked over and grabbed the same branch. Lifting her foot, she accidentally stepped on her dress and had to kick it aside with a huff. After a few more times of her dress getting in the way, she made her way to the window and climbed in after Riku.

Once she was inside, she grumbled, "I hate this dress."

Riku half-smiled, but didn't respond as he scanned the area. The walls inside were made completely of stone and lit torches lined the hall they found themselves in. No one appeared to be around them but they could hear faint music echoing through the corridors.

"We should find out where that music is coming from," Hinata whispered.

"My thoughts exactly," He replied as he unsheathed his sword. "Be careful though, I don't know what to expect."

Hinata silently nodded and followed his lead as he cautiously went on ahead. The music gradually began to grow in volume and they soon made out voices, mostly male, yelling and laughing over each other. The aroma of meats and alcohol wafted around them as they neared what appeared to be a tavern. Riku sheathed his sword and put out his arm to slow Hinata to a stop as well.

He leaned against the wall and peeked around the corner, finding a banquet hall filled to the brim with people. Long wooden tables were placed around the room with men of all shapes and sizes happily drinking away as scantily clad women danced on the tables to a nearly intoxicating tune being played by a group of musicians in the corner.

"Well, what do you see?" Hinata asked when Riku hadn't given her a verdict. She looked over with him and immediately frowned when she saw the dancing women. "Oh… "

"This seems like a good place to find information," Riku told her.

"Yeah," She slowly replied almost unsure, "Just… don't get any ideas with those girls."

He turned back to face her with a confused look on his face. "You think I'd go for girls like that?"

Hinata glanced at the dancing girls and confessed. "It's not like I'd blame you, they're gorgeous."

Riku scoffed and grabbed her hand. "You're the only one I care about. Don't worry about them." He assured her, planting a small kiss on her knuckles.

Hinata quickly looked back at him as her cheeks deeply flushed. When he smirked at her reaction, she pulled back her hand in an embarrassed fit and told him. "You're too charming for your own good, sometimes." She averted her eyes before adding, "But thanks."

"Yeah," He squeezed her hand before turning back to the tavern. "Come on, I think I see a couple open seats near the back. We can lay low there."

He kept her close behind him as he walked into the tavern, keeping his head down as he weaved them through the bustling crowd. A few times he had to stop and pull Hinata forward when a drunken man would mistake her for one of the dancers. Eventually they reached a back table where they could sit in peace.

As they sat down across from each other, Hinata sighed, "Well this place is certainly something."

"You seem to be getting a lot of attention." Riku noted, making Hinata roll her eyes. "I'm glad I came in here with you."

"Oh please," She scoffed, "I can handle a few drunk guys; plus I think I'm a little young for their tastes."

"With how drunk they are, I doubt your age really matters to them." He told her while glancing around; noticing a few guys looking over at them, Hinata particularly.

Hinata noticed his looks and teased, "I didn't realize you were the jealous type."

Seeing one of the men getting out of their seat to come over, Riku leaned forward and pressed his lips against Hinata's, giving her a short and unexpected kiss. As he sat back down he sent a glare at the other guy, making sure he took the hint before whispering to Hinata, "More like the protective type."

Hinata's cheeks deeply blushed and she opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a chilling gust of wind that tore through the entire room, snuffing out every torch and silencing the room. A dark red smoke filled the front of the room and when it dissipated it revealed the Horned King. He stood eerily still as he scanned the area with his glowing red eyes, boring into anyone that dared look him in the eye. Hinata quickly averted her gaze when he looked over to her and Riku, feeling a shiver run down her spine.

"Welcome your Majesty!" A nasal squeaking voice called out from the crowd. A small green goblin hopped towards the King as he walked up a stone set of stairs to a throne lined with skulls. The goblin poured wine into a golden goblet as he continued. "We were just celebrating our…I-I mean, your success!"

As the shriveled goblin brought the wine to the King, Hinata looked over concerned at Riku. He caught her look but couldn't say anything in response. Everyone was silent, staring wide eyed at the King before them with their hands tightly clasped in their laps. Riku glanced around the room, feeling a tense unease steadily rising. The goblin's yelling caught his attention.

"Bring in the prisoner!" It squeaked with excitement.

On the other side of the room, a door unlatched and opened to reveal a burly guard holding onto a black chain. The people in the tavern stood up one by one to get a better look, causing Riku and Hinata to do the same. Riku grabbed Hinata's arm and pulled her forward with him as he pushed past some of the men to be able to see clearly. He stopped short when he saw that the prisoner attached to the other end of the black chain was actually the same pig they had encountered only hours before. He exchanged a confused look with Hinata as they watched everything unfold.

"There it is Sire!" The goblin told the King as it rubbed its callous hands together. "This ah, pig, creates visions." It snapped its fingers and a guard brought out a copper bowl filled with water and placed it in front of the pig. "Now go on pig! Show His Majesty where the Black Cauldron is!"

A low murmur of voices rumbled through the crowd from the goblin's words and a few people even began to laugh. Taking the moment of noise to their advantage, Hinata looked over to Riku and whispered. "If Hen Wen can somehow show visions, why did Taran lie to us?"

Riku shook his head. "I don't know. But if that pig does show the King where it is, we're going to have to be quick to get to it before him."

Hinata frowned, "How? We wouldn't even know how to get there."

He looked over at her with uncertainty in his eyes, but before he could respond, the crowd once again fell silent as the King glared out at them. Everyone looked back to Hen Wen in front of the bowl of water. Hen Wen took one look at the water and tipped up her snout in defiance, ignoring the glare from the King and goblin.

The goblin sheepishly smiled at the King before jumping down the stairs and grabbing Hen Wen by the back of her neck. Despite her squealing oinks, the goblin shoved her face into the bowl of water. "Show us the cauldron, you swine!" It yelled.

Hinata shifted uncomfortably as they were basically watching the poor pig being tortured. She watched as Hen Wen struggled against the goblin's hold before the goblin finally released her, allowing Hen Wen to take in a breath of air.

"I warn you!" The goblin hobbled over to a lit fireplace and grabbed a piece of hot coal with a pair of metal tongs. "The King's patience is short!" The goblin held out the glowing coal towards Hen Wen threateningly.

Clenching her fists, Hinata was about to step forward, but was stopped short when Riku grabbed her arm, giving her a warning look. The crowd around them also began to murmur once again as the goblin threatened Hen Wen.

"No!" Taran's voice rang out as he fell from the ceiling, bringing a few rocks down along with him.

"Taran?" Hinata asked under her breath. "What is he doing here?"

Before Riku could reply, the men in the room went into an immediate uproar. They raised their weapons and rushed towards Taran. Within seconds he was thrown to the front of the room beside Hen Wen, where they were reunited.

"Oh Hen Wen, you're safe." Taran sighed in relief as he pushed himself to sit up. He gave her a large hug, ignoring the cuts and bruises on his skin.

"This is bad," Hinata shook her head and placed her hand on her forehead.

"Let's just see what happens." Riku told her with a whisper.

"I presume my boy; you are the keeper of this oracular pig?" The Horned King spoke up; his voice was deeply menacing and raspy.

Taran looked up at the King, completely terrified. "Y-yes, sir…"

"Then instruct her to show me the whereabouts of the Black Cauldron." The King told him as he grabbed his goblet to take a drink of the wine.

"Oh sir, I can't. I promised." Taran replied, shaking his head.

"Very well," The King told him with a slight sigh in his voice. "In that case the pig is of no use to me." He crushed the goblet in his hand, covering his hand with the wine.

Within an instant two guards came up behind Taran and restrained him as the goblin came forward and grabbed Hen Wen, dragging her to a wooden chopping block. Taran struggled and yelled as the men in the tavern began to cheer for blood.

"We have to do something," Hinata stepped forward.

"We can't," Riku told her. "There's no way we can take on all these guys."

Hinata looked pleadingly between Riku and Hen Wen. A tall burly man wearing a black mask concealing his face held a sharp axe right at Hen Wen's neck. Lifting it into the air, he got ready to slam it down on top of her. Feeling her stomach knot, Hinata tightly closed her eyes and looked away.

"Stop!" Taran yelled looking right up at the King. "I'll make her tell you!"

"Splendid," The King replied with a grin plain in his voice. He motioned his hands to the guards forcing them to release Taran.

The goblin brought Hen Wen back and Taran let out a long breath as he knelt beside her and the bowl of water. Lifting his finger in front of her face, he chanted, "Hen Wen, from you I do beseech… knowledge that is beyond my reach."

As he spoke he twirled his finger in the surface of the water as if hypnotizing Hen Wen. Her eyes went wide as she followed his movements and then dipped the tip of her snout into the water. The surface of the bowl shimmered as an image of a black cauldron appeared.

The King got up from his throne and watched with a rare excitement. He slowly walked down the steps and came closer and closer to Taran. Feeling something behind him, Taran turned around and yelped in surprise that the King was right there. In fright he stumbled back, spilling the bowl and all the water over; prematurely ending the vision.

The King yelled with rage, demanding more water be brought in. As he spoke, Taran scrambled back and grabbed Hen Wen, trying to make a break for it. He bolted out of the room before the King ordered his men to go after him. Uproar of cheers erupted from the men as they once again held up their weapons and barreled after Taran.

Not wanting to be alone in the room with the Horned King, Riku grabbed Hinata's arm and pulled her along as he ran out with the crowd. Once they were out of the tavern and turned a corner, he stepped aside, leaning his back against the wall with Hinata standing breathless in front of him.

"We have to help him," Hinata told him. "We can keep sitting back and letting all these awful things happen."

"What's going on with that kid and his pig has nothing to do with us," Riku pointed out. "It's probably for the best the he's being chased; means less attention brought to us."

"But he's just a kid," She objected.

"He looked about the same age as us, maybe a year or two younger."

"Yeah, except we have the advantage of knowing how to defend ourselves."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Riku assured her. "They'll probably put him in the dungeon and then we can sneak in and make his pig tell us about the cauldron."

"What makes you think they won't just kill him?" Hinata asked.

Riku opened his mouth to respond, but stopped short when he heard footsteps approaching. He peeked around the corner, seeing a group of guards dragging Taran by his arms.

"Put him in the dungeon!" The goblin squeaked as he hopped behind the guards.

Riku glanced back at Hinata with a smirk.

She scoffed with a smile on her face, "Don't look so smug." Letting out a breath, she resigned. "All right, let's get searching for this dungeon then."

The smirk remained on his face as he looked back at the guards and goblin walking away. "We shouldn't risk following them, at least not this closely. I say we take this hallway," He motioned down the hall they were hiding in. "Even if it doesn't lead us to the dungeon we might find some other lead. I doubt that pig is the only thing the King has tried threatening about the cauldron."

"All right." Hinata agreed before giving him a look, "You're very good at coming up with plans."

"Doing stuff like this was basically all I've ever wanted to do," he admitted with a shrug as he turned around and began walking down their new path. "Adventuring, exploring new places, it's always been exciting to me."

"I could do without exploring this castle though," Hinata mentioned as she turned to follow him.

"It's still pretty cool." He told her. "I've never even been in a castle before, well other than Hollow Bastion; but we haven't really had the chance to explore that place."

Hinata nodded but didn't reply as they continued on their way. Little to no chatter was shared between them as they went through the windy corridors, gradually making their way to the lower levels of the castle and eventually getting underground. The stone walls turned into molded dirt and roots of old trees. Thick wooden beams supported the ceiling and the occasional torch was hung off a metal holder on the wall. Soon they approached a large stone doorway lined with skulls.

They slowed they walk to a stop and Hinata examined the doorway. "What's with all these skulls as decoration? They're everywhere in this place. Remind me to never let the Horned King decorate my house. "

"What you don't like them?" Riku asked as he came up beside her.

Hinata scoffed before remarking sarcastically. "Oh yeah, I love them. I was just thinking our room back at Hollow Bastion could use a few decaying skulls hung on the wall."

"I'll make sure to let Maleficent know," Riku replied with a chuckle, making Hinata laugh in return.

Riku grabbed the rusty ringed doorknob connected to the wooden double doors and pulled back on it; but the door didn't budge. He put both of his hands around it and tried again with more force getting a slight creak but no movement. He finally let it go and rubbed his hands together, letting the dust on them fall to the ground.

"Maybe it's locked," Hinata suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." He replied with an unsure tone.

Faint approaching voices could be heard from the other side of the door. Riku looked around and spotted a wooden column where they could hide and motioned for Hinata to run with him over to it. They got behind it and Riku peeked around it as the wooden door was pushed open from the inside by two muscular guards. As they opened the pathway, the green goblin from earlier scurried in front of them; constantly talking with its annoying nasal voice. The guards remained silent as they walked back into the room and grabbed the handles of a wooden wagon covered with a tan tarp. They grunted as they pulled the wagon out of the room, following the goblin as it scampered on ahead of them. Once they were out of sight, Riku noticed that they had forgotten to close the door behind them.

He placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder, "Looks like we can get in now."

"Where do you think it leads?" Hinata asked as she looked over at the open room.

"Well the same guards that took that kid were there and so was that weird green guy." Riku shrugged, "Just might be the dungeon."

Hinata nodded and walked over to the open doorway. Looking inside, she mentioned. "It's looks really dark in there." A loud clamor caught her attention and she turned around to see Riku pulling a torch off the wall, breaking the rusty metal that had been holding it in place. "Problem solved." She smiled at him as he walked back to her holding the lit torch.

They walked together into the new room that led into a long dark corridor before they reached a steep staircase. Even with the firelight they could not see how far down the steps went.

"How did they get that wagon up these steps?" Hinata asked under her breath as she walked with Riku down the stairs.

The dim torchlight illuminated their way, showing dusty cobwebs and broken stone walls all around them. Hinata stayed close to Riku, feeling a bit perturbed by the destruction around them. Dust fell from the ceiling, its scent mixing with the already musky smell of the area. Eventually they reached the bottom of the staircase and realized that they were not in a dungeon but a burial chamber. Decayed stone created arches, the angles of the rocks casting dark shows against the flickering flame of the torch. Hinata stepped forward, cringing as she felt something snap underneath her foot. She looked down and gasped when she realized she had stepped on a bone. She jumped back and looked around, seeing bones and skeletons lying all over the ground amidst intricately designed sarcophagi that were leaned against the walls or held above the ground with their own marbled pedestals.

"Some of these guys got treated a lot better than the others," Hinata noted, uncomfortably running her hands up her arms. "Maybe we should get out of here."

"There has to be another exit here," Riku told her. "It would make sense to have a dungeon around here; let's split up and look around."

"Split up?" Hinata asked almost incredulously. "In a creepy place like this?"

"They're all dead, Hinata." He reminded her. "They won't do anything to you."

"Still creepy," She told him before asking. "What am I supposed to use for light?"

Riku handed her the torch before bending down and finding another stick lying on the ground. Standing back up, he put the tip of the stick in the flame of the torch light it as well. "I'll take this." He told her, slightly swinging his makeshift torch.

"All right," She sighed, still not liking the idea. "I'll go this way I guess…" She turned and walked the opposite way, making sure not to step on any more bones.

"Let me know if you find anything," He called after her, seeing her wave behind her as she walked away.

He turned around and looked at the sarcophagi around him. Some of them were uncovered, showing the decaying bodies inside. They still wore a full set of armor that had stood the test of time despite being covered in dust and cobwebs. As Riku walked around, he noticed that a few of the bodies in their caskets had weapons laid on their chests. Most of them were standard blades that were rusted and old; yet there was a golden blade that caught his attention. He considered grabbing it for himself but decided against it, feeling as if it was meant for someone or something else.

He turned and walked in another direction, approaching a dark stone sarcophagus that was covered with engravings. Holding the torchlight close he saw that it wasn't the stone itself that was dark, it was a thin layer of sulfur that covered it. It appeared as if the entire box had been thrown into a furnace. Dusting some of the sulfur away with the back of his hand, Riku examined the engravings in the stone. It was an intricate carving with men and creatures alike charging from all sides towards a single man in the center who was holding up a strangely shaped blade. Riku tried to make out the shape of the blade by running his finger across it; but jumped back the moment his skin made contact. It felt as if something coursed through him just from impact. He looked down at his hand that appeared to be unscathed and shook his head.

Looking at the sarcophagus, he couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to open it. The lid was tightly encased on top, but despite his better instinct, he grabbed the edge of the lid and pushed against it. A billow of dust and sulfur exploded into the air as he pushed the old lid away, making him cough and wave his hand in front of his face. Once it was cleared he looked at the body he was expecting to see inside, but against the warrior's chest was a blade unlike anything he had ever seen.

It was a one-handed single edged blade that had the shape of a dragon's wing. The wing itself was a dark almost blood red and the bones holding it together was a blackish blue metal that shimmered against the flickering flames of Riku's torch. The red and the blue twisted together at the hilt surrounding a bright blue dragon's eye before braiding together to create the rest of the hilt. As if he was not in control of his own actions, Riku reached forward to touch it; but stopped himself at the last second. The blade itself seemed to be pulsating with an unknown power, as if it were alive and calling him to it. Swallowing hard, Riku ran his hand along the hilt of it, feeling his pulse immediately begin to race.

"What is this thing?" he asked himself.

"Hey Riku!" Hinata's voice chimed behind him, making him abruptly take back his hand and spin around. "Look who I found." She told him as she motioned her head behind her.

Riku noticed Taran walking a few feet behind her as well as a young girl about Taran's age. Her blonde hair reached past her shoulders as she daintily walked over while holding the edge of her dress to keep it from getting dirty.

Forcing a small smile, Riku asked. "How did you escape the dungeon?"

"That would be me," The blonde girl stepped forward. "I'm Princess Eilonwy. I was trying to find my own way to escape the dungeons when I found Taran. We decided to find a way out together."

Riku slightly bowed his head to pay her small respect before looking back to Taran. "Where did your pig end up? Is it in another dungeon?"

"She escaped before I got captured," Taran explained as he crossed his arms.

"Which means, no cauldron," Riku sighed as he looked over to Hinata. "Well now what do we do?"

"I think the only thing we can do is help these guys get out of here," She shrugged. "Then maybe we can help Taran find Hen Wen and go from there."

"All right," He sighed before noticing a golden sword in Taran's hands. "Where did you find that?" He asked him.

Taran glanced down at the blade in his hands and admitted, "I found it on one of the men."

Eilonwy put her hands on her hips. "I simply do not know how I feel about you taking that."

"It's not like he's ever going to use it." Taran defended while shrugging his shoulders.

With a huff, Eilonwy looked away and Riku glanced back at the strange sword in the corpse's hand, considering Taran's words. His thoughts were interrupted when the sound of barking dogs broke through the stillness. Eilonwy immediately ran after the sound, dragging Taran along with her.

"Ah, wait!" Hinata called after them to no avail. Letting out a breath she looked over at Riku. "I better make sure they don't get into trouble. You coming?"

Riku smiled uneasily, "Uh, yeah, I'll be right there."

"You all right?" She asked him.

"Fine," He assured her quickly before lying. "Just a bit tired."

"Hopefully we can get out of this castle soon and we can get some rest." She told him with a small smile before turning away and following the others.

Riku glanced back at the sword once more before following after Hinata. They tracked the sound of barking dogs, finding their way out of the catacombs to the lower dungeons. They found a set of stairs leading up to a dungeon door that was surprisingly wide open. Going up the stairs they discovered an elderly man chained up against the wall. He was a bit heavier set with a small hat atop his grayed hair. A beautiful harp was also strapped around his neck. As Riku entered the room, Taran and Eilonwy were already busy untying him.

"Oh thank the Maker!" The older man chimed as they untied him. "I'm saved!"

"I'm Princess Eilonwy," Eilonwy introduced herself while doing a small curtsey. "Who might you be?"

"Why I am Fflewddur Fflam, a minstrel." He replied. The harp around his neck shook from his words breaking a couple strings. Fflewddur glared down at the harp and hit it with his knee, "Oh stop you. It's true."

Riku stood at the entrance to the room with his arms crossed, uninteresting in the events as his mind kept going back to the strange weapon he had seen in the catacombs. He wasn't brought out of his thoughts until Hinata yelled his name.

He shook his head, "What?" He looked around but found that he was completely alone in the room. "Hinata!?" He yelled, turning in place. "Where did she go?" He asked himself.

He didn't have much time to think as he heard a flurry of footsteps rushing towards him. Without hesitation, he drew his sword while he ran forward towards a hallway, looking for any sign of Hinata. He stopped mid-step when he caught sight of a fully armed guard across the hall from him, but had thankfully gone unnoticed. Ever so slowly, he backed up to avoid being seen by the guard; but it was to no avail as his foot landed on a stray bone and snapped it.

The guard shot his gaze in his direction and showed a toothy grin. Holding up his axe he barreled towards Riku. Not wanting to back down, Riku held up his blade up behind his head while his other hand was held out in front of him in preparation of the fight to come. The guard was sloppy and rather untrained as he sluggishly swung his axe towards Riku's head, not bothering to protect his torso. Riku took the moment of weakness and slashed his blade across the guard's chest, slicing through his leather shirt and skin like butter.

The guard let out a yell of pain as he dropped his axe and grasped at his wound as blood seeped through his clothes and between his fingers. Riku stumbled backwards, his eyes widened at what he had just done. His heart was racing and adrenaline pumped through his veins, but he couldn't shake the slight feeling of satisfaction that he had won. Shaking his head, he forced himself to run past the injured guard and into the hallway. Two paths were before him once he entered the hall, each in a completely different direction. He was about to run one way, but hearing the yells of more men, he turned and went the other way.

He sprinted as fast as his muscles would allow, trying to keep an eye out for Hinata or a way out. Along the way he kept running into a stray guard or bounty hunter that was searching for escaped prisoners. He would take them down without much trouble, their spilled blood having less and less effect on him as he pushed forward. He lost count of how many flights of stairs he had climbed or how many people he had cut down, and his legs were begging him to give them rest. Despite it, he pushed forward, determined to either find Hinata or a means of escape. Seeing an open doorway leading outside up ahead, he rushed towards it and went through it without much thought. It wasn't until he was outside that he realized it was only a balcony overlooking the chasm surrounding them. He turned around to leave, but the exit was already blocked. Over a dozen men stood in his way, each of them with a look of vengeance and anger in their eyes.

Riku backed up as he spun the sword in his hand, mentally planning how he was going to take them down. The men, however, had a different plan as they parted ways to allow a giant muscular man dragging a massive wooden club behind him through. Riku felt his throat go dry as he stared up at the man in front of him. He gulped and readied his sword, unsure of what else to do.

The man let out a deep laugh at Riku's actions and wasted no time swinging his club towards him. Riku rolled out of the way, feeling the heavy thud behind him as the club hit the cobblestone. Back on his feet, he sliced his blade against the man's leg; but the metal didn't even cut through his skin.

"What?" Riku asked in near disbelief.

His distraction was his downfall as the giant grabbed the back of Riku's shirt and threw him backwards. Riku let out a cry as his back hit the wall hard. He crumbled to the ground and struggled to support his own weight. Shaking his head to clear his throbbing headache, he looked back up at the giant, seeing him grabbing his sword and tossing it over the side of the balcony. Riku watched the sword fall into the chasm below, his heart sinking along with it. Despite being without a weapon, he pushed himself to stand, ready to fight again.

The man let out another laugh as he raised his club for another blow. Riku was able to dodge the hit and tried to run past the man while he was distracted, but was thrown back again, hitting the wall. Riku winced as he pushed himself back to a standing position. His vision was blurred and his muscles screaming in pain. The men behind the giant were cheering, encouraging the giant to take the final blow and finish the match. They were treating it like it was their form of amusement.

Riku searched for anything that could serve as a weapon, but there was nothing. He noticed the man raising his club for another hit. Raising his hand and closing his eyes, Riku waited in anticipation for the hit, but it never came. Slowly opening his eyes, he noticed the men and the giant were all standing back with surprised looks on their faces. Riku looked at them confused before glancing up to his hand and gasping. In his hand was the exact weapon he had seen in the sarcophagus.

"What the hell?" Riku asked under his breath as he brought the blade down so he could look at it better.

The guards once again parted ways, allowing the Horned King to walk onto the balcony with Riku. Looking at the sword in his hands, the King let out a raspy chuckle. "Just as I suspected; you have the seeds of darkness within you."

Riku looked up at the King in confusion. "What?" He asked before pointing the blade towards him. "What do you know about this?" As he spoke, he could feel a rush of power coursing through him.

Motioning his bony hand towards the blade, the King explained. "That is Soul Eater, drawn to hearts with darkness. The darker the heart, the stronger it becomes." Riku examined the sword as he continued. "A dark heart of which, I am prepared to offer a deal."

Stopping his admiration of Soul Eater, Riku looked back to the King and asked. "A deal?" When the King only nodded in response he cautiously asked, "What if I refuse?"

The men surrounding the Horned King began to laugh in deep low voices. Their reaction was answer enough to Riku. He shifted uneasily, unsure of what to do.

Taking a deep breath, he looked back to the King and replied. "All right. Let's talk…"

"Excellent," The King replied as he motioned his arm behind him. "Then come with me, there is much to discuss…"

Riku reluctantly stepped forward. The guards stood aside allowing him to pass. With every step he took, he felt a knot gradually growing in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what the King had planned, but he knew it wasn't going to be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** Author's Note: Very long chapter this time! I really should have split this into two shorter chapters, but… I didn't want to. So instead, you get one really long chapter. If you are unsure, the world they are on is from the Disney movie, "The Black Cauldron". The moment I saw this movie I knew it was where I wanted Riku to get Soul Eater; it just works so well! I personally never liked the idea of Maleficent giving him Soul Eater, especially how he continues to use it after everything that happened with her and the fact that his eventual Keyblade is basically 'evolved' from it. So I don't know, I wanted to do something different. Anyways, we'll be hopping over to Hinata in the next chapter to see what's become of her and then back to Riku in the following chapter.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this long chapter! Please let me know what you think! ***


	17. Visions

Chapter 17

Hinata crossed her arms as she watched Taran try to untie the rope around Fflewddur's wrists. She glanced over at Riku beside her, seeing him staring back at the catacombs behind them with a distracted look in his eyes.

"Are you sure you're all right?" She asked him with a whisper, but he didn't reply. She opened her mouth to ask again, but Taran's voice caught her attention.

"These are too tight!" Taran exclaimed with strain in his voice.

"Well we must get him out somehow if he is to escape with us," Eilonwy told him.

Hinata sighed as she walked forward and grabbed Taran's shoulder, "I'll do it."

With a small harrumph, Taran stepped back and allowed Hinata to work on undoing the bindings. He walked back to be by Eilonwy and commented, "I would've been able to do it eventually."

"Unfortunately for you, time isn't exactly a luxury right now," Hinata replied with a distracted tone in her voice as she pulled at the rope. She loosened the knot, allowing Fflewddur to have a bit of wiggle room. She glanced at him as she worked and asked, "So how did you end up in here?"

Fflewddur let out a huff as he explained, "They think I am some sort of spy."

"Are you?" She asked.

"I most certainly am not!" He replied. "I am a minstrel. I was once the balladeer to the grandest courts in all the land." At his words, the harp around his neck shook violently, breaking a couple strings. "Oh so you've forgotten!" Fflewddur scolded the harp. "I've sung in the finest courts!"

Hinata successfully undid the first binding, allowing Fflewddur to let down his arm. As she walked over to his other wrist, she asked, "Does your harp always do that?"

"It's enchanted I'm afraid," He admitted. "Breaks a string every time I, well, stretch the truth."

"Enchanted?" She repeated before mumbling. "A vision seeing pig and an enchanted harp… this world is a lot stranger than I gave it credit for."

"This world?" Fflewddur asked.

"Oh, uh… nothing," Hinata cleared her throat and avoided his questioning gaze as she tried to untie the rope.

"How much longer?" Taran asked.

"Indeed," Eilonwy added. "I fear the guards will notice out empty cells rather soon."

Without looking back at them, Hinata defended, "I'm doing the best I can. You guys are welcomed to help out at any time."

"I tried helping and you pushed me away," Taran reminded her, crossing his arms.

"Well you were doing a bad job." She muttered under her breath.

"What?" Taran asked.

"Just keep a lookout for guards, all right?" She told him as she was finally able to loosen the knot. "I almost got it."

Taran sighed and walked over to a nearby doorway. He glanced out of it to see a long empty hallway. "Nothing here," He said as he walked further into the hallway.

"Taran, do be careful." Eilonwy called after him.

"I have a sword," Taran reminded her, pulling out the golden sword he had grabbed. "I can handle whatever we find!" He held the blade up proudly, making Eilonwy roll her eyes.

She was about to respond, but was cut off by the echoes of barking dogs. Taran jumped at the sound and scrambled back into the room, almost dropping his blade.

"Pig-Boy's gone!" A deep voice could be heard yelling through the wall.

An eruption of yells and clanging metal boots echoed through the room and halls as a sudden search for the missing prisoner began. Hinata pulled harder on the rope tied around Fflewddur's wrist, struggling to fully undo it.

"We have to go!" Taran exclaimed in fright.

"They are coming this way!" Eilonwy added.

"Just a few more seconds," Hinata replied.

"Go, I'll be fine," Fflewddur told her, noticing the way his harp began to shake.

"I can't just…" Hinata objected.

"Get them to safety," He interrupted her. "I'll get myself out. Now go!"

"All right, I'm sorry…" Hinata forced herself to let go of the binding and turned around. She rushed towards Taran and Eilonwy grabbing their arms. "I'll watch your backs, run!"

Without waiting for her to tell them again, they ran into the hall in the opposite direction of the approaching guards. Hinata followed a few feet behind them, her hands wrapped around the hilts of her blades; ready to pull them out at a moment's notice. Eilonwy ran faster than Taran and led the way through the halls as if she knew exactly where to go. She went through a doorway that led out to a stone bridge over a dark chasm outside. Without looking behind her, she ran across, disappearing inside the castle spire on the other side. Taran ran after her with his sword held in his hand. As he went across the bridge, his foot caught on a loose rock and he stumbled forward, causing him to lose his grip on his blade. It fell forward, almost completely off the bridge before landing on a rock platform jutting out beside the bridge.

"My sword!" he yelled while outstretching his arm towards the fallen weapon.

"We don't have time for this!" Hinata groaned when she caught up with him. Unsheathing her blades, she turned back around to face the way they came. "Hurry up and get it! I'll cover you."

As Taran scrambled to his feet, Hinata could hear the guards closing in on their location. Their yells and footsteps mixed with her heartbeat drumming in her ears. She glanced back at Taran as he carefully climbed over to the jutted out platform to grab his blade.

"Why do you even need that sword?" Hinata asked him annoyed, "Just let me and Riku protect you." Her eyes widened and she looked back towards the hallway. "Riku… Where is he?" She ran forward until she reached the hallway they had just run out of, "Riku!" She yelled with panic in her voice. "I have to go back for him." She ran back into the hall, completely forgetting about Taran.

She turned the first corner and was confronted by six guards; each of them held up their sharp weapons and looked at her with an almost evil delight. Swallowing hard, she held out her blades at her sides and slowly backed up to create some space.

The guard up front was a burly man, holding an axe in his large hands. He stepped forward and cooed with a deep voice, "Aw, does the little girl want to play?" He looked back at his fellow men, "This should be fun."

Hinata scowled, but didn't reply as she continued to back up until she led them out to the stone bridge, noticing Taran finally picking up his sword. Before she could tell him to run, the front guard took the first swing. Hinata jumped back, feeling the wind from the swing brush against her as the axe missed her waist. She blocked the following attack from a sword and used the blunt side of her other blade to hit the head of the front man, causing him to fall to the ground with a yell of pain while also blocking the path for the other men. Hinata used the opportunity to create more space between her and the guards. She turned around and sprinted across the bridge; grabbing Taran's arm as she sped past him.

She dragged him with her through the same doorway Eilonwy had used before. Releasing his arm, she turned around and shoved a large wooden double door closed in front of the doorway, keeping the guards from coming in. She leaned her back against it, feeling the men pounding on the other side. Frantically looking around, she spotted a spear leaning against the wall. She pointed towards it and Taran quickly grabbed it for her. Once he brought it over, Hinata turned around and placed the spear between the door and four metal prongs attached to it. She stepped back, still hearing the men pounding on the door, but unable to break through for the time being.

"That should buy us some time," Hinata said breathlessly, "I just hope Riku is all right."

"Eilonwy…" She heard Taran whisper behind her as he began searching through the halls. "Eilonwy where are you?"

Hinata glanced back at Taran, seeing him walk on ahead of her without so much as a thank you. She slightly frowned and looked at the door, noticing the wood gradually cracking with every bang the guards on the other side gave it. They didn't have much time. She tightened her grip around the hilts of her blades, unsure of what to do; until she heard Taran's yell echo down the hall. With a gasp she spun around and ran towards the sound. Turning the next corner she saw Taran on the ground with his sword beside him and a guard standing in front of him holding a sharpened axe.

"Hey!" Hinata called, getting the guard's attention.

He whipped his attention to her and immediately grinned as he held up his axe, completely forgetting about Taran. Hinata readied her blades, prepared to attack; but she stumbled back when Taran suddenly stood up in front of her holding up his sword that appeared to be glowing. It shined brilliantly as Taran stood protectively in front of her. His hands were shaking and his breaths shallow as he stared at the guard across from them.

"G-get back!" He stammered.

The guard laughed at Taran's frightened tone and swung his axe, not caring about the sword's glow; but the moment the weapons met, the axe exploded in a fiery mess. With a yell, the man fell back and cowered as he ran away. Taran held up the blade in awe as a grin covered his face.

Hinata's mouth went agape and her eyes widened. "I've… never seen anything like that!"

"Neither have I!" Taran agreed with a laugh. He swung the sword in front of him triumphantly. "It must be magic!"

"That's amazing," Hinata admitted.

"Taran? Hinata? Is that you?" Eilonwy's voice caught their attention as she approached them from around the corner. "I heard some yelling."

"Princess!" Taran exclaimed grabbing her hand, "You're all right!"

"Of course I am," She told him slightly confused.

Hinata opened her mouth to say something but stopped short when the blocked door was burst open. She whipped her head around to see a group of men barreling their way. "No time to talk, run!" She yelled at the others.

Taran spun around and tugged on Eilonwy's hand, pulling her behind him as he ran on ahead. Hinata ran after them pushing over every table and item she found in the halls to hinder the guards rushing behind them; but it did not do much good. Taran ran up a set of stone stairs with Eilonwy in tow. Hinata got up about halfway before she was suddenly tugged back by her hair. She yelped in pain as one of the guards tightly pulled on her hair. Yanking back her elbow, she hit him right in the eye; making him growl and loosen his grip. With her hair free, she spun around and lifted her blades just in time to block an oncoming attack. More and more men began climbing the stairs, stomping on top of each other and shoving past one another. Hinata backed up a couple steps in an attempt to create space; but the men were quick and hot on her tail. Unsure of what else to do, she kicked the front man square in the chest, shoving all of her weight against him. He waved his arms as he tumbled backwards, losing his balance and bringing the whole group of men down the stairs with him. Hinata grabbed onto the wall, to keep her balance and took a moment to see the men yell and grumble on their backs at the foot of the stairs. The slightest hint of a smirk appeared on her face before she turned and sprinted up the stairs.

The next room was a lined with large oversized barrels and had the distinct scent of alcohol wafting through the air. Hinata spotted Taran and Eilonwy beside the barrels trying to catch a breath. She allowed a small sigh of relief to escape her, but then jumped when she heard a yelling voice echo through the room. She sprinted over to the others, instinctively holding out her blades ready for an attack.

Above them on a stone balcony, they spotted Fflewddur racing towards them with a vicious dog right on his trail, "Help!" He cried as he ran. "Murder! Murder!"

Hinata couldn't help but smile when she realized it was Fflewddur. "He actually made it out," She said under her breath before yelling, "Fflewddur! Over here!"

"Oh ho!" He yelled with a bit of joy in his voice, before the dog chasing him nipped at his pants. With a yelp, he jumped forward and grabbed a hanging rope from the side of the wall, using it to slide down to the ground with the others.

Before they could say anything to him, the same horde of guards that had been hunting them burst into the room. Fflewddur immediately ran towards a nearby doorway, not waiting for the others. Hinata readied her blades to buy them time, noticing Taran readying his sword.

"Keep going Princess!" Taran ordered Eilonwy. As she ran, he held out his sword in front of him, watching as it gradually glowed brighter and brighter from the power emanating from it. "Stand back!" He warned Hinata before he sliced the blade into the barrels one by one.

The wood immediately splintered upon impact and red wine burst out of the barrels, flooding the floor and spewing all over the guards. As the guards slipped and fell to the ground while sputtering from the alcohol, Taran began to laugh, slicing his blade all over the barrels, not caring about the wine covering him.

Hinata grabbed his arm, pulling him out of his trance. "Come on, let's go!" She told him as she ran out of the room.

"Did you see that?" Taran asked her with glee apparent in his tone as he ran along with her. "That was amazing!"

Hinata half-smiled, but didn't respond. Instead she looked around as they ran, noticing the dozens of stone bridges above them, each covered with guards yelling and waving their weapons in their direction. "This isn't good," She whispered under her breath. She looked forward seeing Eilonwy and Fflewddur running up ahead towards the same grated gate she had found with Riku earlier.

"There they are!" The squabbling green goblin squeaked, making Hinata glance back to see him leading an army of guards after them.

Grabbing Taran's arm, Hinata sprinted forward, closing the distance between them and the others. Taran grabbed Eilonwy's hand, pulling her out of the way of an oncoming spear. As they reached the gate, Hinata turned around and blocked as many oncoming weapons with her blades as she could; ignoring the few that whizzed past her, taking a small slice of her skin along with it.

"What do we do?" Eilonwy asked, letting out a small scream when a spear hit the gate mere inches from her. She looked over at Taran's glowing blade. "Taran! Use the sword!"

"Right!" Taran agreed as he held up his blade and hit it against a black chain holding the gate closed.

Bright fiery sparks exploded upon impact as the metal chain melted and snapped. The goblin and guards immediately stopped their pursuit and stared in awe. The moment the chain fell, the gate slid open and a long wooden bridge leading over a misty moat fell down before them.

"Run Princess!" Taran yelled as he regained his bearings from the sword. "Run!"

Eilonwy nodded and turned to escape, bringing Fflewddur along with her. Hinata waited for Taran to leave as well before following after him. They ran together across the bridge seeing another grated gate up ahead through the last doorway of the castle about to close. The guards were once again hot on their trail, but sprinting ahead, they made it through the gate just as it shut behind them, keeping the guards at bay. Without looking back they ran across the thin path that led from the castle back to the forest.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a magic sword?" Fflewddur yelled at Taran as they ran.

Taran laughed, "I didn't know! Not until a few minutes ago at least!"

"Great Belin!" Fflewddur exclaimed with a smile. "Fortune was smiling upon us this day!"

They finally reached the thick of the forest, leaving the castle behind them and only stopping when their muscles could no longer push them forward. Reaching the end of their stamina, they reached a clearing. Hinata welcomed the warm sunlight that showed in between the leaves above them and leaned back against a thick tree root.

"I can't believe we made it out of there." She admitted before looking back the way they came. "I just hope Riku's all right. I can't believe I left him there…"

"Oh I'm sure he's fine." Eilonwy assured her as she walked up next to her. "If he is anything like you I'm sure he was able to find his own way out."

"I hope so," Hinata strained a smile at Eilonwy. "I wonder if I should go back though."

"Go back?" Fflewddur asked almost incredulously. "I highly doubt that blasted Horned King would allow you to simply waltz back into his castle."

"I can't just leave Riku there by himself." Hinata told him. "He wouldn't abandon me if he were in my place."

"You aren't abandoning him," Eilonwy assured her. "You made sure we got out of there alive. Without you I don't know if it would have been possible."

"Well you did have me," Taran spoke up standing proud. "I helped get us out, didn't I?"

"You?" Eilonwy asked with a bit of a chuckle. "I'd say it was the sword's magic."

"But it takes a great warrior to handle a sword like this!" Taran countered with a smug look.

Hinata rolled her eyes and looked away with a small scoff as Eilonwy replied. "But still, it is a magic sword."

"Ha!" Taran scoffed as he sheathed the blade and placed his hands on his hips. "What does a girl know about swords anyways?"

Hinata turned around to face him and crossed her arms. "Did you seriously just ask that?"

"If it weren't for us girls, you would still be in the Horned King's dungeon!" Eilonwy added.

"N-now ladies, let's calm down," Fflewddur tried to calm them.

"Not only did I beat you singlehandedly in a so called 'duel' back at your farm," Hinata ignored Fflewddur's words and stepped towards Taran. "But I saved your sorry butt from that castle! Oh, and remember when you dropped your sword earlier? Good thing this 'girl' was there to protect you while you scrambled to pick it up."

"At least she doesn't keep talking about it forever!" Eilonwy added, stepping forward to be beside Hinata. "Neither of us do! Us girls are the reason you're even here!"

"Princess, now please…" Fflewddur spoke up again.

"How dare you take his side!" Eilonwy yelled at Fflewddur before stomping off.

"I really didn't…" Fflewddur softly spoke as she left.

Taran scoffed as he shook his head, "Silly girl, both of you." He waved it off and turned around.

Hinata lifted her hands in angered motions as if trying to hold back from doing or saying something. Letting out a huff, she put her hand to her face and admitted. "You know what? I don't know why I'm wasting my breath. I got you guys to safety so I'm leaving to find Riku. Good luck with whatever."

Without waiting for either of them to respond, she turned and walked back the way they came, grumbling under her breath about Taran's ignorance. She went along for a few minutes until she suddenly felt an odd burst of vibration on her hip. With a gasp she abruptly stopped walking and felt it again. She ran her hand over her hip, feeling a square outline. She grabbed it and pulled it in front of her, realizing it was the black communications device buzzing.

She stared at it for a moment, at a loss of how to operate it as it vibrated once again. In a rush she pressed the biggest button along the bottom and hoped it was the right one. Within seconds the small screen in the center of the device flicked on, showing a video of Riku. Hinata immediately smiled and shortly laughed.

"Riku? Oh my gosh, I can't tell you how good it is to see your face." She blurted out all at once.

Riku smirked at her words, "Probably as good as it is to see yours."

"What happened to you?" She asked.

He chuckled, "I could ask you the same thing. One second I was with you and those kids and the next I was alone in the room surrounded by guards."

Hinata frowned and confessed, "Yeah I'm sorry. I got so focused on getting Taran and the Princess to safety I just assumed you were with me. It wasn't until it was too late to go back that I realized you weren't." When Riku didn't respond, she asked. "But wait, you were surrounded by guards? Are you in the dungeon?"

"Uh, no," He admitted, "I got wrapped up in something with the Horned King." He noticed Hinata's face slightly pale and quickly added, "But its fine, I've got it under control."

"You have the device; beam yourself back up to the ship." Hinata told him. "You don't have to do whatever he says."

Riku looked around as if making sure no one overheard Hinata's words. "No it's fine. This might actually work for our benefit." He told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"He wants me to go after that Cauldron." Riku told her with a hushed voice. "He thinks I'm on his side."

"Why does he think that?" She asked, subconsciously also lowering her voice.

"It's a long story," He avoided the question. "But basically he wants me to follow that Taran kid. He thinks he'll show the way to the Cauldron. Are you still with him?"

Hinata scoffed, "Not after everything he just said to me."

Riku chuckled, "Did he get you riled up again?"

"I sort of stormed off," She admitted with a bit of embarrassment in her voice.

"Well you might want to go back with him for a bit longer." Riku told her. "If he finds his pig we could use it as a backup plan to find the Cauldron. Then I'll follow the kid and you stay with the pig."

Hinata thought about it for a moment. "What are you going to do with Taran and the others once you catch up to them? Like what if they do lead you to the Cauldron?"

Riku shrugged, "Probably nothing. Knock them out if I really need to; but otherwise I'll probably just leave them alone. It's not like any of them could really hurt me even if they tried."

A small smirk appeared on Hinata's face at his confidence. "Yeah, I guess that's true." She admitted. "Well…" She mulled it over for a second before nodding. "All right, I'll go with your plan." She took a deep breath. "I'll go back to them."

"Good," He smiled at her before quickly looking away as if he heard something. "I can't talk for much longer. Try not to call me all right? It would blow my cover."

Hinata felt an itch of uneasiness settle in her gut but nodded, "All right, stay safe."

Riku looked back to her and gave a sweet smile. "You too." With that he cut the call.

Hinata stared at the blank screen in silence, thinking over everything her and Riku had just discussed. A sudden rustle in the bushes behind her made her spin around and quickly place the communications device back on her belt before instinctively grabbing the hilts of her blades.

"Hinata? Are you there?" Eilonwy's voice came through the trees, making Hinata relax a bit.

"Yeah, I'm here." She replied, watching as Eilonwy came forward dragging Taran behind her by his arm.

"Taran has something he would like to say to you," Eilonwy told her while lightly pushing Taran towards Hinata.

Hinata crossed her arms and silently waited as Taran stared at the ground with his hands uncomfortably fidgeting in front of him.

"Th-thank you, for getting us out of the castle," He swallowed his pride as he forced himself to look up at her and admitted, "I shouldn't have said what I did."

A small smile appeared on Hinata's face, but she remained silent as Eilonwy stepped forward. "We are going to go searching for Taran's pig. And we were wondering if you would come with us."

"You want me to go?" Hinata asked, looking over at Eilonwy.

"Why of course!" Eilonwy told her. "We really should work together."

Hinata's smile grew as she nodded, "Well all right. I'll come along."

"What about Riku?" Taran asked.

"He's all right," Hinata told him as she glanced back towards the castle. "He's got things under control."

"How do you know?" Taran questioned. "Earlier you didn't think he was even alive anymore."

"I was just over worried earlier." She confessed, "I'm sure he's fine."

Taran still appeared unconvinced, but Eilonwy stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry Taran, I'm sure he found a way out on his own. Maybe we can ask your pig where he is." She giggled after the words left her mouth.

"You still don't believe Hen Wen can tell the future?" Taran asked her with a frown.

"Oh I believe you," She replied with a bit of a laugh still evident in her voice. "It's just hard to imagine."

"It's definitely weird," Hinata admitted as they began walking back.

"You've seen it happen?" Eilonwy asked.

Hinata nodded, "When Riku and I were searching the castle we found this tavern where the Horned King tried to have Hen Wen tell him where the Cauldron was."

"Wait," Taran stopped walking and looked dubiously at Hinata. "You two were there when that happened?" He scoffed, "Thanks a lot for helping!"

"I wanted to help, but even together, Riku and I couldn't have taken out that whole room of guards; especially with the Horned King right there." She defended. "It's not like we were expecting to run into you again. How did you and Hen Wen end up there anyways?"

Taran's expression went sullen as he began walking again and he explained. "After you and Riku left the farm, Hen Wen started acting frightened and strange; so Dallben had me bring her inside the house and he showed me how to entrance her with the bowl of water."

"So you didn't know she could do that before?" Hinata asked.

Taran shook his head, "No idea at all! I had no idea why Dallben treasured Hen Wen so much; at least, not until this morning." He let out a sigh and went on with his story. "Anyways, Hen Wen showed that the Horned King was searching for the cauldron and knew that Hen Wen could show him it; so Dallben told me to take Hen Wen to a hidden cottage so the Horned King couldn't find her. But…" His voice trailed off and he looked up at the leaves overhead. "On the way there I wasn't paying attention and Hen Wen wandered off and was captured. I followed her to the Horned King's castle and the rest you basically know."

"It's not your fault Taran." Eilonwy comforted him.

"It kind of is," Hinata commented without thinking, immediately noticing the look she got from Eilonwy. Clearing her throat she began to correct, "I-I mean…"

Her words were interrupted by Fflewddur's frightened voice echoing through the forest ahead of them. They all exchanged worried and confused looks before sprinting forward to find him. They came back to the clearing they had been gathered at before to find Fflewddur face down in the dirt with a small gray furry creature on top of him, growling as it tugged on his harp.

"Get this thing off me!" Fflewddur yelled; his voice muffled from being pressed into the ground.

"Gurgi want this!" The gray creature exclaimed with a nasal voice as he tugged even harder on the harp; causing the harp holder around Fflewddur's neck to slightly choke him.

Taran stepped forward with a scowl on his face and crossed arms, "Gurgi!"

Gurgi immediately looked up from the harp up to Taran, his big blue eyes widening even larger. "Master?" He asked with surprise as he dropped the harp and jumped off of Fflewddur. "Oh, uh, old man, fell down!" He began pushing against Fflewddur's arm, "Get up! Get up!" He told Fflewddur with a quieted voice.

Fflewddur sputtered as he sat up and brushed the mud and plants off his body. "Well, really, who is your… pungent little friend?"

Taran scoffed as Gurgi softly kicked the ground. "He's no friend of mine; just a coward and a thief!"

"I'm guessing there's a story behind that," Hinata noted as she glanced down at Gurgi.

"You have no idea," Taran replied.

Eilonwy giggled, "Well I think he's charming."

"And pungent too!" Gurgi replied proudly, obviously having no idea what the word actually meant and causing Eilonwy to giggle again.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Taran asked, making Gurgi look over at him.

"Yes, toddle off, toddle off!" Fflewddur added, waving his hand towards the forest.

Gurgi scowled, "Fine! Gurgi go!" He turned to leave and noticed a set of tracks in the mud. "Tracks? Tracks! Gurgi remembers!" He spun around with a grin and beamed, "Gurgi remembers seeing piggy's tracks!"

"You can't be serious," Hinata commented in disbelief. "What are the odds of that?"

"That's right, you'd try anything." Taran agreed, crossing his arms.

"Oh, you're both horrid," Eilonwy scolded them, "He just might know!"

"Will pretty lady come too?" Gurgi asked, batting his eyes at Eilonwy.

She giggled, "Well I suppose."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Gurgi chimed as he spun around her before running off ahead with Eilonwy not far behind.

"He better be telling the truth," Taran commented under his breath as he stepped forward to follow after them.

Hinata reached down and helped Fflewddur to his feet. "Well, at least we have some sort of lead."

"Indeed," Fflewddur agreed as he regained his balance. "With luck, this Gurgi might actually prove useful."

They all followed after Gurgi as he toddled on ahead with a skip in his step. Eventually the others began talking, exchanging stories of their past and pointing out beautiful or odd sights. Hinata was the only one that remained silent. She trailed near the end of the pack, only speaking when a question was directed at her before going back to a distracted demeanor.

"Are you all right?" Eilonwy eventually asked as she slowed enough to be beside Hinata.

Hinata nodded, "Yeah… Just thinking."

"About Riku?" She asked, seeing Hinata nod again. "I'm sure he's all right. But he must be rather special to you, to cause you so much worry."

A small smile appeared on Hinata's face as she admitted, "He is. We're all each other's got. I just feel guilty for leaving him behind like that. He never would have done that to me."

Eilonwy was silent for a moment before replying. "Something I've learned recently is that it's hard to know just how you would react to a situation unless you're actually in it." Hinata looked over at her a bit confused as she continued. "What I mean is that before today I highly doubt you've ever been chased by guards or escaped a dungeon from an evil king; let alone with two other people you needed to protect. There was no way to properly prepare for something like today. And for what it's worth, I believe you did a splendid job. You put yourself in harm's way, just to make sure Taran and I got out safely; when you barely know us! That's rather heroic."

Hinata lightly scoffed, "I've been training with sword fighting my entire life, I suppose it was about time I put it to good use." She was silent for a moment before adding, "But… thanks. I get what you mean. I knew that Riku could handle himself, so I wasn't thinking about getting him out; I figured he would keep up… and he usually would have. He seemed distracted by something."

Their conversation was interrupted when they slowed to a stop in front of a sparkling pond. Gurgi excitedly hopped up and down as he pointed towards the slippery mud leading into the water.

"See, Master?" Gurgi spoke to Taran, "Piggy's footsteps, no lie!"

Taran knelt down and spotted little hoof prints in the mud. With a smile he exclaimed, "Oh good! They look fresh too."

"Just past this pond, Master," Gurgi told him as he carefully stepped onto a stone protruding from the surface of the water. He happily hopped to the next stone above the water, not noticing as the rock behind him sank.

"Gurgi, wait." Hinata called after him, making him look back. "Something's not right."

Before Gurgi could ask what she meant, the rock he was standing on began to rise. He yelped and wrapped his furry arms around the stone to keep his balance; but wasn't prepared as the stone suddenly began to spin. The water around him rippled and splashed as the spinning rock started a current; creating a whirlpool.

"Oh!" Gurgi yelled out in fright as he lost his footing and fell into the water. He sputtered and waved his arms frantically. "Master! Master!"

"Gurgi!" Taran called out as he rushed forward and grabbed ahold of Gurgi's furry arm. "Hold on!"

The current of the whirlpool was too strong, as Taran was swept up into the water. Everyone else ran forward. Eilonwy grabbed onto Taran's hand in a futile attempt to save him; yet the same thing happened to her. She fell forward and grasped onto Fflewddur's harp; dragging him down with her. Hinata pulled out her blade and dug it deep into the mud before grabbing Fflewddur's arm; stopping everyone from going down the whirlpool. She tightly held onto the hilt of her blade, desperately trying to keep everyone afloat, but the current was proving too strong. She watched as her fingers slowly lost their grip around her blade, feeling her heart race with fear while her muscles screamed out in strain. When her fingers completely released the hilt, she yelled out as she fell back into the water along with the rest of the group. She desperately tried to keep her head above the water and reach out for anything to grab; but they were moving too fast. A strong force pulled her underwater before she could get a full breath of air. The force of the current thrashed her around and slammed her against a rock; causing her to lose consciousness.

Sudden warmth surrounded her and she felt a tiny hand tugging on her arm. "Hina, Hina! Wake up!" Aiko's voice cut through the darkness.

"Wh-what?" Hinata asked with a weak voice as she fluttered her eyes open, finding herself leaning her head down on a table.

She sat up straight, seeing the array of open books and papers scattered before her. Looking around she realized she was inside of the Hollow Bastion library; except it looked different from what she had seen when she was there earlier with Riku. Instead of random copper machinery protruding from the walls emitting smoke and sparks; everything was polished and new. Warm sunlight poured in through the intricate stained glass windows, showing a full beautiful garden right outside. Hinata looked out the window from her seat with confusion before looking over to see Aiko staring up at her with a frown on her face.

"I'm dreaming again, aren't I…?" Hinata asked her. "I'm not really here. But… why am I dreaming I'm back at Hollow Bastion?"

"What are you talking about?" Aiko asked, placing her small hands on her hips.

Hinata looked down at her younger sister and asked her. "Is this where we live? Like… is this the world we're from?"

"You aren't making any sense." Aiko pouted.

"Never mind," Hinata shook her head. "You're technically part of my imagination, so you wouldn't know."

She took a deep breath and leaned back in her seat while scanning the papers and books spread across the table before her. Messy sketches of various weapons were drawn on the papers with written facts beside them; copied from the pages of the large books.

"Was I making a report of something?" Hinata asked.

"Uh-huh!" Aiko nodded, making Hinata look over at her. "Master has you making reports on weapons a lot. You're in the library all the time!"

"Master who?" Hinata asked seeing Aiko merely shrug in response. "Right… you wouldn't know." She looked back to the papers for a moment before asking. "Last time we talked you asked me something I didn't understand."

"What was it?" Aiko asked.

"You asked me why I followed the darkness," She looked to her sister. "What did you mean?

"You don't know?" Aiko asked with innocence in her voice.

Hinata slightly smiled and raised one of her eyebrows, "I wouldn't be asking if I did."

Aiko stared up at her in silence for a moment as if she were studying her. Her childlike regalia slowly transformed into a serious almost mature expression before she replied, "I think you do; you just don't want to admit it."

The smile on Hinata's face diminished and she felt a knot tighten in her stomach. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Before Aiko could respond, the door leading into the library swung open, making both the girls look towards the entrance. A slender woman stood in the doorway with her dainty hands clasped in front of her green floor-length dress. Her long bright red hair was pinned up, only allowing two ringlets of hair to rest on the side of her cheeks that swayed as she walked forward. A sparkle was in her blue eyes as she gently smiled at the girls as she approached.

"My little Aiko," She spoke up with a kind voice. "Are you disturbing your sister's studies again? You know she needs to focus on them."

"But I hardly ever get to see Hina anymore," Aiko pouted. "Her Master always has her working on reports now."

"I know," The woman responded, kneeling down to Aiko's level. "But it's important for Hinata to get them done." She lightly ruffled Aiko's hair, making her giggle. "Come now, let's go out to the garden to pick some flowers for Grandmother and leave Hinata in peace."

Aiko glanced back at Hinata, who was silently watching the exchange with her eyes fixated on the woman. Letting out a wistful sigh, Aiko conceded. "All right. Let's get the prettiest flowers we can find!"

"Of course," The woman replied with a small laugh in her voice as she wrapped her arms around Aiko and swept her off the ground. As she stood back up she gave Hinata a wink before turning around to leave the room.

"M-mom?" Hinata finally spoke up, standing from her seat.

The woman stopped walking and slowly turned back to look at Hinata. "Yes?" She asked.

Hinata smiled as she let out a shaking breath. She moved to step towards her but stopped short, "I-I'm sorry I forgot. I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened." She inhaled sharply, feeling tears sting the corners of her eyes. "And… I know this isn't really the real you, but… I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I have to say it at least once."

"Forgot what Dear?" Her mother asked.

"Everything," She replied with tears in her voice. "I just…"

Tears streamed down her face and she stepped towards them; but the moment her foot touched the ground the distance between her and her mother elongated. Spurring her walk, she continued towards them; yet with every step they somehow kept becoming farther and farther away, just out of reach. Her mother sent Hinata a small smile before turning back around to leave.

"No, wait!" Hinata cried after her, turning her walk into a run. "Please don't go!"

Her surroundings faded to black as she continued to run after them. The warmth that had been surrounding her was replaced with a wet chill that drenched her to the bone. She fell to the ground as if tripping over something in her path, curling up into a ball and hugging her legs as she shivered. Cold water was dripping from her body and she slowly opened her eyes, awaking from her dream and finding herself in a dark cave.

Small puffs of white mist appeared in front of her lips with every breath she took as she pushed herself to sit up. The back of her head where she had banged it throbbed with pain, making her wince when she attempted to run her hand over it. Looking up, she saw the surface of the pond sparkling as faint sun beams shined through it as if it were a thick stained glass.

"I'm… under the water?" Hinata asked with a whisper. "But… How? I'm not actually underwater." Her head twanged with pain as she tried to think about it, making her give up on finding a plausible explanation.

She looked around at the towering cavern walls around her. Water dripped from the crevices, the sound of them splashing on the rocky floor echoed throughout the hollow walls. Hinata shivered again and ran her drenched hands over her freezing arms while she glanced beside her; seeing the others unconscious but beginning to stir awake.

"Where… are we?" Eilonwy asked with a pained voice as she slowly pushed herself to sit up. She rubbed her hand on her forehead; obviously dealing with a similar headache as Hinata.

"Somehow we're under the pond, but not underwater." Hinata tried to explain, getting a confused look from Eilonwy. "I know, it doesn't make any sense."

"Well… at least we're alive." She replied, trying to remain positive.

"Gurgi's alive!" Gurgi exclaimed in assurance while already hopping up and down again.

"Somehow we all are…" Fflewddur added with his face planted into the palms of his hands.

"I feel awful," Taran groaned while still lying on his back.

"Join the club," Hinata replied to him as she struggled to stand up. Her legs wobbled under her weight, but eventually settled; allowing her stand tall. "We need to find a way out of here; unless you think Hen Wen somehow ended up down here too."

"It's quite possible she did," Eilonwy agreed as she also stood, brushing off some mud that had gotten on her dress. "Her tracks did lead right into the pond."

"Well I guess we can start loo.." Hinata started to say.

"Sh-sh-shoosh," Fflewddur suddenly interrupted them. "I think I hear something."

Hinata quickly quieted down and listened, sure enough hearing two faint voices in the distance. They all grouped together before cautiously walking forward in the vast cavern they found themselves in. Coming up to a jutted cliff edge they peered over and spotted two tiny people floating in midair. They stood no taller than a few inches and a faint glow emanated from them as they flew here and there while bickering with each other. Both of them appeared to be elderly men, one of them had a round belly and a long white beard under his pointy hat; while the other was slender and hunched with a scowl seemingly permanently on his face.

"I thought you said it was fixed," The heavier set one said to the other.

With a grunt, the other replied, "It is fixed! It's perfect!"

Eilonwy giggled, causing both the men to look up at her with surprise. "Oh, aren't you both darling?"

The small men stared up at them in stunned silence, their eyes wide and mouths slack jawed. The larger man then cleared his throat and floated forward.

"Oh, ahem, hello," he greeted, trying to find his bearings. "I'm King Eidellig of the Fair Folk."

"How the blazes did they get down here?!" The other man exclaimed as he angrily threw his hands into the air.

"It's that whirlpool Doli," King Eidellig reminded him with a hushed voice.

"I told you it's fixed!" Doli objected.

"Evidently not, if it allowed them through," He replied before looking back to the group. "Uh, can I be of any service?" He asked them with a kinder voice.

"Is everything that happens around here my fault?" Doli complained as he crossed his arms with a huff.

Eidellig cleared his throat and sent Doli a look before asking the group. "Are you here for a friendly visit?"

"Oh yes," Eilonwy replied with a nod and smile.

"And I suppose it's my fault the pig's here too!" Doli butted in with a remark.

Taran perked up and asked, "Hen Wen?"

Eidellig beamed, "Oh, she's your pig?"

"Oh good, one less thing for me to worry about," Doli let out the faintest smile.

"Speaking of which Doli," Eidellig turned towards him. "Would you hurry and fetch the pig?"

The smile immediately vanished from Doli as he turned and flew off with a grumble. As he left, other small flying humans appeared from their hiding places around rocks and floated towards the group. Hinata watched in awe as she saw the entire race of tiny humans surround them. Right in front of her a young girl that appeared to be no older than six stared at her with big green eyes. Her golden hair floated softly behind her, reaching down to her bare feet.

A small smile appeared on Hinata's face and she asked, "Are you like a fairy?"

With a gasp the girl disappeared into a sparkling blue mist, making Hinata widen her eyes.

"Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you." She told her, not sure if the girl could hear her.

Within a couple seconds the blue mist reappeared and the girl was once again floating in front of her. "S-sorry," the girl squeaked as she pulled at the bottom of her white dress. "I've never actually seen a human before…"

Hinata's smile grew, "Well that's all right, I've never seen a fairy before either."

"A fairy?" The girl asked with her head cocked to the side.

"Is that not what you're called?" She asked her.

"Nu-uh," The girl shook her head. "I'm called Tylwyth and… I'm a Fair Folk."

"Well hello Tylwyth," She greeted, "I'm Hinata."

A tiny smile appeared on Tylwyth's face. "That's a pretty name."

"Thank you," Hinata chuckled. "So you live down here?"

"Uh-huh!" She replied with more confidence. "I've lived here my whole life! Uncle Doli told me that once I'm old enough I can go to the surface to gather food; but I've never been."

"Doli's your Uncle?" Hinata asked, getting a nod from Tylwyth.

"Yeah, he can be grumpy sometimes, but he gives the best hugs!" She told her with a giggle. "What's it like on the surface! I bet it's beautiful!"

Hinata smiled, "Yeah, there's a lot of trees, but it can be dangerous too."

"That's what Uncle Doli tells me too." Tylwyth frowned. "That's why he hasn't let me go up there yet even though all my friends have."

"You'll get to go someday," Hinata assured her.

"Hinata!" Eilonwy interrupted their conversation.

Hinata looked away from Tylwyth to see Eilonwy walking towards them, "What is it?" She asked.

"They do have Hen Wen here!" Eilonwy shared with a chime. "And even better, they know where the Cauldron is!"

"They do?" Hinata asked, standing up.

"Uh-huh!" Tylwyth nodded as she floated up with Hinata. "It's at the… uh… the swamp! Uncle Doli told me!"

"Yes," Eilonwy nodded, "The swamp of Morva."

"How does your Uncle know where the Cauldron is?" Hinata asked Tylwyth.

"Us Fair Folk know about all the stuff happening on the surface!" Tylwyth told her proudly.

"And Doli is going to help us get there," Eilonwy informed them. "Although," She giggled, "He isn't too happy about it."

A frown appeared on Hinata's face before she asked, "So uh… what are we going to do about Hen Wen? You guys can't really take her to the swamp."

Eilonwy thought about it for a moment, "You know, I'm not sure." She spun around and called out, "Taran!"

Taran jogged over with Hen Wen happily snuggled in his arms. "Yes? What is it?"

"What are we going to do about Hen Wen?" Eilonwy asked. "We can't take her with us to Morva."

"I didn't think about that," Taran realized as he looked solemnly down at Hen Wen.

"She could stay here!" Tylwyth offered.

"Or I could take her back to your farm," Hinata quickly added before anyone could respond to Tylwyth's offer.

Taran and Eilonwy looked over at Hinata with surprise. "You?" Taran asked. "But what about the Cauldron? Weren't you looking for it too?"

"Yes," Hinata admitted, uncomfortably fidgeting her hands in front of her. "But… I don't want to find it without Riku. If I take Hen Wen back to the farm, then that will give me the chance to look for Riku too."

"I don't know…" Taran slowly replied. "We might need you at Morva. What if we run into the King's men?"

"Indeed," Eilonwy agreed, "You're the only one among us that knows how to fight." She noticed a glare from Taran. "You know I'm right," She told him before looking back to Hinata. "I just don't understand why you suddenly want to leave."

Hinata swallowed hard, trying to follow the instructions Riku had given her. "It's not that I don't want to travel with you guys anymore… I just feel like I shouldn't go after the cauldron without Riku." She averted her gaze from them avoiding their disappointed expressions. "And Taran has that sword now. With that you guys don't have much to worry about."

Taran and Eilonwy were silent as they exchanged looks. After a few seconds Eilonwy spoke up, "All right. If that's what you really want."

"I trust you with Hen Wen," Taran added. "So I know she'll be in safe hands." He looked down at Hen Wen with a sad smile. "But do you know the way back to the farm?"

"I'll find my way," Hinata assured him.

"I could guide you!" Tylwyth offered excitedly.

"But I thought you said you've never been to the surface." Hinata reminded her.

"Even though I've never been up there, I know the whole map of Prydain!" Tylwyth told her proudly. "I could tell you how to get anywhere on the surface even though I've never been."

"That's very impressive," Eilonwy told her with a smile.

"Yes, but I know your Uncle wouldn't like you leaving." Hinata reminded her. "Plus it's too dangerous for you to come along."

"But…!" She tried to object.

"Sorry Tylwyth," Hinata interrupted her. "You should stay here. I'll find my way back to the farm."

Tylwyth let out a small pout and disappeared into a sparkling blue mist, not bothering to say goodbye. Hinata frowned as she left but didn't comment about it. Instead she looked back to Eilonwy and Taran.

"I'm sorry to leave the group so suddenly, but I think it will be for the best." She told them. "Thanks for understanding."

"Of course," Eilonwy strained a smile. "But we'll miss you."

"I'll miss you guys too." She replied as she looked between them.

"Are you about ready to depart?" King Eidilleg floated in between the group.

"Yes, I believe we are." Eilonwy told him. "Thank you for your help."

"Of course," Eidilleg replied with a smile. He turned towards his subjects and gave them a nod, "Shall we then?"

As he spoke all of the Fair Folk transformed into the same sparkling blue mist Tylwyth had disappeared in. The mist surrounded the group and began lifting them off the ground; back up towards the surface of the pond. Hinata closed her eyes as they near the water's surface expecting to be drenched once again; yet she was shocked when she felt the warmth of the sun on her skin. Opening her eyes she saw that she was standing on the muddy bank of the pond, right beside her blade that was still stuck in the ground. Looking back to the pond's surface, it shimmered with the bright sparkling blue before fading back to the crystal water.

"That was certainly something," Eilonwy commented.

"Gurgi wants to do it again!" Gurgi chimed as he clapped his furry paws.

Eilonwy laughed, "Oh no you don't. We have the Cauldron to find, remember?"

"Yeah! And we better get moving if you want to make it there before sun down." Doli spoke up from his perch on Fflewddur's hat.

"All right then," Taran told him, "We just have to say goodbye to Hinata first."

"Goodbye?" Fflewddur asked as he looked over at Hinata. "Is she not coming with us?"

"I'm going to take Hen Wen back to Taran's farm." Hinata informed him.

"Well then," Fflewddur stepped forward and grabbed her hands. "I wish you safe travels and promise to sing of your heroic deeds."

Hinata smirked and chuckled, "Why thank you. You really don't have to though. I didn't do anything that great."

Fflewddur scoffed, "You're lucky my harp isn't hanging around your neck. It would have broken all of its strings from your lie right there."

Hinata laughed, "Well if I believe it, does it really make it a lie?" They laughed together before she told him, "Take care of the others. Make sure Taran doesn't run his mouth again."

"Hey!" Taran remarked with his arms crossed, causing Eilonwy and Gurgi to laugh.

"I promise," Fflewddur assured her. "And you take care of yourself."

"I will," Hinata smiled as he released her hands and stepped back.

Eilonwy walked forward and gave Hinata a hug. "Are you certain you won't come along with us?"

"I am," Hinata hugged her back. "This is for the best. You guys will be fine." She hugged her a bit tighter as the final sentence left her mouth.

"Be sure to watch after Hen Wen," Taran walked up to them, interrupting their moment with Hen Wen in his arms. "She'll wander off if you aren't looking."

Hen Wen looked up at Taran with a bit of a frown and snorted at him.

"Well it's true," He reminded her with a hushed tone.

Hinata stepped back from Eilonwy and assured him, "Don't worry Taran. I'll take good care of her. She'll be waiting for you back at the farm, I promise."

Well… all right." Taran replied as he set Hen Wen on the ground. "Now you listen to Hinata, all right Hen? Don't wander off and do as she says. She's going to take you back to Dallben."

Hen Wen squealed happily and nodded her pink head before nuzzling Taran.

He laughed as he hugged her. "All right, all right, I'm going to miss you too." He patted her on the head before standing back up and seeing Hinata cleaning her blade that had been stuck in the ground.

Hinata re sheathed her blade and looked right at Taran. "Make sure to stay alert." She told him. "You're the only one with a weapon now; so you need to be ready for anything."

Taran swallowed hard and nodded, "I will. I promise."

She smiled at him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You'll be fine, don't worry."

"Yeah, I know I will," He replied with a bit of over confidence laced in his voice.

"Come on already!" Doli interrupted with a gruff voice. "Time's wastin!"

"See you around then," Hinata told them with a small wave before looking down at Hen Wen. "Let's go."

Hen Wen oinked and toddled towards Hinata with a skip in her step. Giving one last smile to the group, Hinata then turned around and began walking back the way they came through the forest with Hen Wen right beside her. She heard Taran and the others discussing the whereabouts of the Cauldron as they left in the other direction. Hearing their words only tightened a knot forming in her stomach.

"I hope they'll be all right…" She spoke aloud to no one in particular. "I would never forgive myself if something awful happens to them because of me…"

Shaking her head she let out a breath and continued walking, lost in her thoughts. She occasionally glanced down at Hen Wen to make sure she was keeping up before she would look back to in front of her to check she was on the right path. The footprints from her trek with the group earlier that day were still fresh in the ground and they proved to be a good and easy path for Hinata to follow. After about an hour of walking, Hinata decided to take a short rest. She leaned back against a thick tree and patted Hen Wen on the head.

"Hopefully we'll make it back to your farm before sun down." She told her as she caught her breath.

Hen Wen nuzzled into Hinata's hand, making her smile. Hinata looked up at the leaves above them, seeing the thin streaks of sunlight peeking through. As she stared at them, her mind went back to the dream she had only a couple hours before.

"Was that really my mom in the dream?" She asked herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a tiny sneeze. She looked down at Hen Wen, who was staring up at her equally confused. Another sneeze occurred and Hinata noticed a wisp of blue sparkles erupt from one of her blade sheaths.

"Uh… hello?" She asked.

"Uh oh…." A quiet yet familiar voice spoke up. "You weren't supposed to notice me…"

Hinata's eyebrows knitted together. "Tylwyth?" She asked; but when there wasn't a response, she added. "It's all right, you can come out."

The blue sparkling mist floated up from her weapon sheath up towards her face before transforming into Tylwyth. She flew with her hands clasped nervously in front of her as she kicked the nonexistent ground beneath her small feet.

"It seems I have a stowaway." Hinata commented with a smirk before asking. "Why did you sneak away with me Tylwyth? I thought I told you it was too dangerous."

"But Uncle Doli is helping your friends get to Morva!" Tylwyth borderline whined.

"Yes, but he's also a lot older and more experienced with the surface than you are." Hinata reminded her. "Plus, don't you think the other Fair Folk will be wondering where you are?"

"Maybe…" She admitted, "But I can show you the way to the farm! You don't know where to go!"

"Wha- I do too know where to go," Hinata defended. "I'm following the same path I took from the castle to your town."

"But there aren't any farms near the castle." Tylwyth pointed out. "At least not on any of the maps Uncle Doli showed me."

"Well yeah, I know that," Hinata sighed. "But once I get to the castle I can just look for anything that reminds me of the way Riku and I went."

"Who's Riku?" Tylwyth asked.

"It's not important right now," Hinata told her. "What is important is getting you back home; which is an hour walk back and I was really hoping to get Hen Wen home before sun down."

Tylwyth pouted, "Just let me come with you! I'm old enough to see the surface and I can get you to the farm a lot faster!"

Hinata frowned, "Tylwyth…"

"Just give me a second!" She interrupted her before flying straight up through the veil of branches and leaves. She flew back down within a few seconds. "I saw a farm a few clicks west! It would be faster if we cut through the forest."

Hinata stared at her for a moment before asking. "Aren't you only like five or six? How do you know all this stuff?"

"I told you my Uncle Doli taught me!"

"Yeah but when I was five I was barely figuring out how to read full books," Hinata replied. "I didn't know the first thing about reading maps."

"I'm just super smart," Tylwyth beamed proudly.

"Yeah, I guess you are," She replied with a laugh.

"So will you let me come along?" Tylwyth asked again. "I promise we can get there before sun down!"

Hinata mulled it over before conceding, "All right, fine." Before Tylwyth could celebrate, she added, "But, the moment Hen Wen is back safely you need to go back home."

"Oh hooray!" Tylwyth clapped her hands. "I'll be good I promise!"

"All right," Hinata chuckled. "Lead on then."

Tylwyth excitedly floated on ahead, allowing Hinata and Hen Wen to follow close behind. As they walked Tylwyth went on and on about life as a Fair Folk and different things she had learned from her Uncle Doli. They walked for what seemed like hours through the dense forest with a stream flowing alongside them, its babbling splashes served as a relaxing ambience to their journey.

Slowing to a stop to take a short rest, Hinata placed her hand on her stomach as she felt it rumble from hunger. Tylwyth flew down to Hen Wen to play with her as Hinata knelt down by the brook and scooped up a couple handfuls of water. Once her thirst was quenched she sat back and looked around.

"I don't suppose you know where I can get some food?" Hinata asked.

Tylwyth left Hen Wen's side and flew to be in front of Hinata. "I think I might!" She told her. "Uncle Doli taught me that berry bushes grow by the stream. I think I remember seeing some a little while ago, stay here!"

"Wait, don't worry, I'll come with you." Hinata assured her about to push herself to stand.

Tylwyth held out her short arms. "No you stay here and rest! I'll only be a minute!" Before Hinata could respond, she turned and flew off into the forest brush.

Hinata leaned back with a frown. "She doesn't listen very well, does she?" She glanced over at Hen Wen who was also taking a drink from the stream. Patting her on the head, she asked. "How are you doing? I imagine you're hungry too."

Hen Wen only smiled up at her before going back for another drink of water. Hinata watched her drink for a moment and her mind suddenly went back to the King's tavern when she saw Hen Wen's powers.

"Can you show more than just where the Cauldron is?" Hinata asked Hen Wen.

She looked up to Hinata, water dripping from her snout. Her bright blue eyes stared right into Hinata's causing Hinata to feel a bit perturbed.

Hinata cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Like… the chant Taran said back at the castle was about you showing things beyond his reach… could you show me things I've forgotten?" She stared back at Hen Wen for a moment before letting out a breath. "I'm not sure why I'm asking. Not like you can really answer me." She solemnly looked back down at the brook, seeing the clear water rush down the stream. "I guess it's worth a try at least…"

Standing back up, she walked a few feet away from the water and dug a large round hole in the mud with her hands. Once it was deep enough for her liking, she went back to the stream and cupped her palms to capture handfuls of water before pouring it into the hole she dug. Once it was full she brought Hen Wen over to it and sat on the other side of her.

Taking a deep breath she held out one of her fingers and began circling it on the water's surface, mimicking Taran's movements. "Hen Wen, from you I do beseech… Knowledge that lies beyond my reach…"

Hen Wen's eyes followed her movements in a hypnotizing way. Her snout went into the water and her eyes turned a shade of red. The surface of the water began to shimmer as if it were made of glass and revealed an image. Hinata looked at it with confusion when she saw Riku standing in the image with his back to her. He appeared to be in the dark halls of Hollow Bastion and was holding an unfamiliar weapon in his hand that had the appearance of a red bat's wing.

"Riku?" Hinata asked, "I don't understand… why are you showing me him?"

As if he could hear her words, Riku glanced over his shoulder and slowly began to turn around. A mixture of purple and blue mist emanated from his body as he moved and his appearance began to change. His eyes turned into burning amber and his hair became long and white. He glowered right out of the projection; his eyes pierced into Hinata and a wicked smirk was plain on his lips. Hinata's heart began to race as she stared back at him, unable to look away.

"Who is that…?" Hinata asked. Her voice was barely over a whisper. "He seems familiar…"

The man's smile only grew at her words and he lifted his free hand, engulfing it in a bright purple flame. Hinata inexplicably began to feel panic rising inside of her, but she was unable to break away. As she watched, the man swiftly jumped back and threw his arm forward, hurling the fire straight towards her.

With a startled scream, Hinata slammed her hand down on the water's surface, destroying the vision. Hen Wen squealed with fright as she jumped back from Hinata's outburst. She stared up at Hinata with widened eyes as Hinata struggled to regain control of her racing heart.

"What the hell was that?" Hinata asked in between breaths. "That wasn't Riku… was it?" Taking a deep breath, she looked over at a terrified Hen Wen. "I'm sorry Hen…. I didn't mean to scare you." She buried her face in her hands and muttered again. "But what was that?"

"I'm back! I found a whole bunch of berries!" Tylwyth's voice chimed, causing Hinata to look up from her hands. She saw Tylwyth approaching with a small cloth satchel at her side. Tylwyth stopped in front of Hinata and her smile instantly vanished. "Are you all right?"

Hinata strained a smile, "Y-yeah… I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Tylwyth asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't worry about it," Hinata assured her before changing the subject. "So you said you found some berries?"

Tylwyth stared at her unconvinced for a moment; but once she realized Hinata wasn't going to share with her, she shook her head and beamed, "Yep! Wait until you try them, they are yum yum yummy!"

Hinata chuckled, "I'm sure they are. Thank you for finding them. Are they far from here?"

"Nope, but I brought enough back here so you don't have to go find it." Tylwyth informed her while holding out her satchel.

"That's not going to be enough for me." Hinata informed her, glancing at the tiny bag.

"Silly," Tylwyth giggled as she opened the lid of the bag. "Now hold out your hand." She ordered her.

Hinata did as she said and watched as Tylwyth turned the bag upside down; allowing over a dozen full sized berries to fall into Hinata's hand. They were golden yellow in color with the same shape as raspberries.

"Oh," Hinata commented, "That bag has a lot more space than I gave it credit for."

Tylwyth giggled and watched Hinata put one of the berries into her mouth.

"You weren't kidding, these are delicious." Hinata told her, stuffing the rest of the berries in her mouth. "Really sweet."

"See! I told you," Tylwyth giggled. "And my bag is stuffed with them! So there's more where that came from!"

"Well see if you can spare some for Hen Wen too. Then we should probably get moving again."

"Okie dokie!" Tylwyth replied as she flew off towards Hen Wen to share the wealth.

As Tylwyth left, Hinata glanced back down towards the puddle of water she had used with Hen Wen. An uneasy feeling filled her gut as she replayed the vision in her mind; but she shook it off. "It was probably nothing…" She tried to assure herself. "Riku would never hurt me."


	18. The Unlikely Trio

Chapter 18

Riku quickly cut the call with Hinata and clipped the device to his vest, conveniently concealed underneath his scarf. He stood in a stone hallway near the Horned King's throne room awaiting orders. He softly kicked the rocky floor as he watched the flames from the hanging torches flicker light against the hard shadows of the castle. Ever so slightly he could make out murmurs of voices from inside the King's throne room, but none of their words were fully audible. The longer he waited, the more nervous he became.

Taking a deep breath he outstretched his arm and closed his eyes. He lingered for a moment before feeling a rush of power burst from his hand. Opening his eyes he saw Soul Eater in his grasp. Its metal detailing reflected the light from the torches as Riku slowly rotated it to get a better look at it.

"I wonder what Hinata will think of this…" He muttered to himself before abruptly turning around when he heard the door to the King's throne room open.

A large guard fully armed with glossed armor led ahead of two other men following close behind. The door slammed shut the moment they were out and Riku stood at attention as they approached him. The guard came to stop in front of Riku and stepped aside to allow him to get a good look at the men behind him. One was tall and slender, yet still appeared muscular and well fit. He had a longer face with pronounced cheekbones that led into a pointed chin, and his pale-blonde hair was long and was braided down his back. A simple green tunic was visible underneath his long brown coat where he tucked away his left hand, as if concealing something. He looked back at Riku with kind yet mysterious gray eyes.

The blonde man placed his right arm over his chest and slightly bowed before Riku. "Greetings, I am Sir Bedivere."

Riku awkwardly smiled back at him and somewhat nodded his head. "Hey, I'm uh, Riku." He replied before looking over at the other man beside Bedivere.

The man was only a couple inches taller than Riku with a gruff look about him with his weather-beaten face. His hair was black and frayed, matching his full mustache and beard that rested under his broad rounded nose. His equally black eyes were hard and made Riku feel uneasy. His entire outfit was a mixture of different types of fabrics and armors that seemed a bit garish to look at. The man had his arms crossed as he stared at Riku with a scowl plain on his face.

"These men will accompany you on your mission to capture the Cauldron." The guard that had escorted the men spoke up.

"You mean this runt's coming with us?" The gruff man spoke up with obvious distaste in his voice.

Riku's eyes widened a moment from his words before transforming into a glare. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the guard. "King's orders. He slayed over thirty of the King's men single-handedly before being captured."

The man scoffed, "He should be happy I wasn't there when he was runnin', he'd be dead."

"Who are you again?" Riku cut in.

"This is Mordred; the Majesty's most hired Bounty Hunter." The guard answered him before turning around. "Return here only when you have retrieved the Cauldron, then you will receive payment."

"Yeah, yeah, we know how it goes," Mordred told him before glancing over at Riku and mumbling, "Well at least most of us do."

Riku frowned and bit his tongue as Mordred turned around and already began leaving the hall. Inhaling deeply, he followed after him. "This should be interesting at least."

"Mordred can be rough, but he will be useful if we end up in combat." Bedivere quietly commented to Riku as they walked out.

"I can handle myself." Riku replied.

"As can I, however sometimes there is wisdom in numbers." Bedivere countered.

Riku nodded but didn't reply as they silently made their way out of the castle. As they made it to the courtyards leading to the gates, Riku looked up at the towering bridges above them where guards and bounty hunters peacefully walked without giving him a second glance.

"They don't seem to care I killed all those guards earlier." He commented to no one in particular.

"Yes, well the King surprisingly encourages killing amongst his men." Bedivere told him.

"Must be because of the Cauldron." Riku commented.

"Perhaps…" Bedivere replied, giving Riku a slightly confused look before walking on.

The small green goblin was by the gate hopping up and down as he clapped his tiny bony hands. "Bring the Cauldron back, you hear? The King will have your heads if you dare return empty ha-"

"Shut up, worm!" Mordred interrupted him with a growl, making the goblin flinch. "I know what I'm doing."

Riku slightly smirked at the goblin's reaction to Mordred's harsh tone, but quickly shook it off as a few guards had to walk up to the gate and pull it up by hand to allow them passage.

"What the blazes happened here?" Mordred asked.

"It was that boy and his damned sword!" One of the guards replied with a strained voice as he helped lift the gate. "The blade glowed and sliced right through the door's chains."

"I wonder if he acquired a magic blade." Bedivere pondered aloud as they passed underneath the gate. "How did he come by that?"

"In the catacombs under the castle," Riku told him.

"And how exactly do you know that?" Mordred asked.

"Cause I was there with him," Riku replied.

Mordred looked at him for a moment as they walked before commenting, "So let me get this straight, the King sent someone that actually knows the runt we're after?"

"All I know about the kid is that he has an attitude and some sort of pig with powers." Riku explained. "It's not like we're friends or anything."

"Were you amongst the crowd when the boy hypnotized his pig?" Bedivere asked.

"Yeah, were you?" He asked him in return.

Bedivere nodded, "Indeed, we both were. Mordred did not believe it could happen."

Mordred scoffed, "Off all the things in this world to be enchanted, it's a pig. Ridiculous."

Riku softly chuckled and added, "I know, it's weird."

They continued walking in silence as they passed the castle gates and prodded along the thin walkway that went over the deep chasms around them. Riku looked down into the seemingly endless depths below him only looking up when Bedivere put out his arm to make them come to a stop. They stood right in front of a wall of blackened trees that led into the forest. Bedivere knelt to the ground and lightly ran his right hand over the dirt as if searching for something.

After a few seconds he stood up straight and informed them, "They headed north west."

"They?" Mordred repeated.

Bedivere nodded, "Four of them I believe."

"Four?" Mordred asked. "What, did a whole platoon help the kid escape?"

Riku knowingly nodded but didn't say anything.

"I'm not sure, the King did not inform us of the details of his escape, unfortunately," Bedivere replied. "I shall send Eirian to scout ahead."

"Who?" Riku looked over at him, noticing Bedivere bringing his right hand up to his mouth as Mordred placed his hands over his ears.

"Oh," Bedivere spoke with a smirk. "You may want to cover your ears."

Riku gave him a confused look but did as he was told. Bedivere placed a few fingers in his mouth and let out a loud, piercing whistle that rang through the still air. Even with his ears covered, Riku still winced from the intensity of the sound. Within seconds a loud roar came in reply. Riku looked up to see a dragon-like creature flying towards them. Its long wings were black in color with red undertones and its underbelly was a muted purple. Riku watched with his mouth agape as the creature landed right in front of Bedivere. Its sharp talons on its two legs dug into the ground and its spiked tail wrapped around it. Without hesitation, Bedivere placed his hand on the creature's long snout and it immediately closed its green eyes and nuzzled into his touch.

"What is that thing?" Riku asked when he was finally able to find his words.

"This is Eirian, a Gwythaint." Bedivere explained. "She will scout ahead for the boy and the Cauldron." He then began whispering to Eirian with words Riku could not understand.

Riku glanced over at Mordred, still shocked at what was happening. Mordred noticed his look and shrugged. "That was about my reaction when I first met her, too. Don't you try doing any of that with her though, she'll bite your hand clean off. Isn't that right, Bedivere?"

Bedivere immediately glared at Mordred but didn't say anything. Instead, he finished speaking to Eirian and stepped back, allowing her to spread her wings and fly back into the sky. Riku shielded his face from the winds caused by her wings.

"Well," Bedivere straightened his clothes and readjusted his left forearm in his cloak. "Shall we then?" He turned and began walking west, following the footprints he had discovered.

They walked in silence, hearing the sounds of the forest all around them. The blackened trees slowly began to transform into healthy living ones the further they ventured into the brush. Little by little various animals and creatures began scurrying around them, their calls mixing with the whistle of the wind rustling through the leaves. Riku glanced up as he walked along with the group. Through the thick clusters of leaves he could see the clouded sky as well as Eirian soaring high above. With a flap of her wings she whisked forward a few hundred feet ahead before letting out a sudden growl and descending to the ground.

"She's found something." Bedivere informed them as he quickened his walk into a run.

"Hopefully something to fight," Mordred commented as he ran after them. "My blade has yet to taste blood today."

Riku made a bit of a face at his comment, but continued to run along with the group, ready to summon Soul Eater at a moment's notice. They could hear Eirian's low growls up ahead, but couldn't yet see her as they made their way past the endless trees. Reaching a clearing, they slowed to a stop in front of a pond. Eirian stood at the edge of the pond, sniffing a single blade that stuck out of the mud by the water's edge.

"Be still, Eirian," Bedivere calmed her as he placed his hand on her snout. He looked to the ground, seeing an array of footprints leading into the pond as well as handprints and smears of mud. "It seems our target came through here, but there was something of a struggle."

Riku quickly walked forward and placed his hand on the hilt of the blade, immediately recognizing it. As he felt the chill of the metal against his skin, an uneasy sensation settled in his gut.

"Hey kid," Mordred called out, making Riku turned around to look at him.

"It's Riku," He corrected him.

"Whatever. You were with the pipsqueak before he escaped. Is that his blade?" Mordred asked while pointing towards the blade stuck inside the mud.

Riku shook his head, "No, his was gold." He looked down at the blade. "I'm… not sure who this belongs to."

"Whoever's blade this is, it appears it did not do them much good," Bedivere spoke up as he examined the blade. "See the mud?" He pointed towards the middle of the blade where it had been struck into the ground. "The ground in front of the blade is caved in; as if the blade had been placed up here first but then was dragged backwards with so much force it cut through the rocky dry dirt below the mud."

"So what do you think happened?" Mordred asked while crossing his arms with a bored expression on his face. "Is the runt here or not?"

"I believe he is, just beneath the surface." Bedivere replied, "We may very well be dealing with the fabled Fair Folk."

"The what?" Mordred asked incredulously.

"The Fair Folk," Bedivere repeated. "I have read about these small creatures that live beneath the water's surface, yet they inhabit vast air pockets that allow them to live and breathe under the water."

"Like a mermaid or something?" Riku asked.

Mordred burst out laughing, "Don't tell me you believe in those things? You really are just a kid."

Riku sighed and glared over at Mordred, "I was just asking, at least I'm trying to come up with ideas rather than being a smart-ass."

"Look kid, just shut your mouth before you embarrass yourself," Mordred told him, still chuckling. "How 'bout you let the grown men do the work?"

Riku clenched his free hand into a fist and looked away before he said something he shouldn't.

"Mordred, please…" Bedivere cut in with an annoyed voice as he sent Mordred a look. "At least attempt to be civil." Letting out a breath, he rubbed the bridge of his nose before explaining. "My theory is that somehow our target's group was forced under the water against their will. They obviously struggled and the owner of this blade tried to keep themselves and possibly the others afloat by anchoring the blade; however, it did not do them much good as they were still pulled into the water."

"And you think those Fair Folk things are responsible?" Mordred asked.

"From my studies the Fair Folk do not seem to be violent in nature, but I suppose if they had good reason or were possibly provoked… anything is possible." He replied.

"But the group," Riku spoke up, "They're safe, right?"

"I would imagine so," Bedivere replied, "We haven't seen any bodies in the water nor any other footprints leading from the pond. However, I am not sure how we are to follow them."

"They'll have to come back out sometime." Riku shrugged. "Why don't we wait them out?"

"Wait them out?" Mordred asked with a borderline groan. "That's your plan?"

"Do you have any bright ideas of how to get down there?" Riku asked him.

"Yeah, what if there's another exit point for them?" Mordred asked. "Somewhere further down the river?"

"If that were the case they could get out anywhere." Bedivere replied.

"But our best bet is they'll come out here," Riku pointed out.

"I will send Eirian to scout from above while we stay here for the time being." Bedivere suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Riku agreed while walking towards a tree trunk before leaning against it.

Mordred groaned, "Well fine, stay here. I'm going to go kill something; I'm starving from both food and boredom." He pulled out a dagger from his boot and grumbled under his breath as he wandered off.

"Don't stray too far, Mordred," Bedivere called after him, only getting a disgruntled growl in response. He turned to Eirian and gave her a simple nod before she instantly took off towards the sky.

"How does she know what to do?" Riku asked as he watched Eirian soar away.

"Gwythaints are rather intelligent creatures," He explained. "She understood everything we were saying and was only awaiting my command to return to the sky."

Riku nodded in understanding, "That's pretty impressive."

"Indeed it is," Bedivere replied as he slowly sat down to rest on a large tree root sticking out of the ground.

Letting out a long breath he pulled out his left arm from his coat, revealing a rounded stub that made up his forearm. Riku's eyes slightly widened at the sight and watched as Bedivere rubbed the nub with his only hand with a slightly pained expression on his face.

"How…" Riku began to ask without thinking.

Bedivere glanced up at Riku, noticing his stare. He readjusted how he was sitting while clearing his throat before speaking. "Six years ago I was on my first mission as a Bounty Hunter. I was to track down an Alpha Gwythaint and lead a small army of men to slay it so I could steal the eggs from its nest for my employer. However… things did not go as planned." He glanced down at his stubbed left arm before continuing. "Many things my employer had informed me of were in fact false, leading to many deaths and unfortunate events. When my men and I finally did encounter the Alpha Gwythaint, we were low in numbers, but I was determined and threw my men at it regardless of the odds. It was during that fight that I lost my hand… among other things; but in the end, the mission was complete. Every Gwythaint egg was delivered to my employer, spare for one."

"Eirian," Riku surmised, completely engrossed in the story.

Bedivere nodded, "Her egg hatched on the journey back." He half-smiled at the memory as he recalled. "In all honestly, after everything I had gone through with the Alpha, one would think I would want nothing to do with her; instead I felt an obligation. So I gave the eggs to my employer and trained Eirian as she grew."

"That's… incredible." Riku admitted.

Bedivere chuckled, "I suppose in some way it is." He leaned back against the tree trunk behind him and studied Riku for a moment. "May I inquire something about you?"

Riku quickly looked up at him a bit surprised before clearing his throat and admitting, "I guess that's fair. What do you want to know?"

"I noticed when we met you had a peculiar weapon in your possession; yet since we have begun our journey I have not seen it." He explained.

A small frown tugged on the corner of Riku's mouth but he held out his hand and focused. Within a moment a black mist surround his hand and when it disappeared, Soul Eater was in its place. "You mean this?" Riku asked.

"Remarkable," Bedivere commented as he leaned forward. "You have a magic blade as well."

"Yeah," Riku smirked. "I found it in the catacombs of the castle."

"Hmm…" He replied with a thoughtful expression. "I shall have to remember to venture through there when we return. Perhaps I will discover my own magically endued weapon. What do you know about it?"

"Not much yet," Riku admitted as he looked it over. "Just that it's called Soul Eater and apparently feeds off of darkness."

Bedivere looked from Soul Eater to Riku. "And you possess enough darkness to continually wield it?"

"I-uh, maybe, I don't know." He stammered while making Soul Eater dissipate. "I'm sort of new to all this."

"You are rather young to be a bounty hunter." Bedivere pointed out. "Although I was not much older than you are now when I first took a job."

The sound of rustling leaves caught their attention. They gazed towards the sound to see Mordred reappearing out of the woods, his fingertips doused in blood and bits of fur. He knelt down by the pond and dipped his hands in, mixing the thick red liquid with the clear water.

"Any news from the runt and his friends?" He asked as he cleaned his hands.

As he spoke the surface of the pond began to glow a bright blue. He abruptly stood up, ignoring his drenched, dripping hands and took a few steps back.

"Hide behind the trees," Bedivere ordered them, already getting up and leaning behind a thick tree trunk out of view.

Riku and Mordred quickly followed suit but made sure they still had view of the pond itself. The surface only glowed more brilliantly, causing them to shield their eyes from the intensity. They reopened them when they heard voices chatting.

Peeking from his hiding spot Riku spotted Hinata amongst the group of people. He recognized Taran along with the Princess and the older man; but his attention was fixated on Hinata. A small smile of relief appeared on his face as he saw her take her blade out of the mud. She appeared to be smiling but Riku could sense something off about her, as if she was uneasy or stressed. He watched her as she said her farewells to the group before walking in the opposite direction of them with Hen Wen at her side. Once everyone was gone, Mordred, Bedivere, and Riku emerged from behind the trees.

"It appears we rediscovered our target," Bedivere pointed out. "You were right, Riku."

Riku half-smiled and nodded his thanks.

"What about that red-head?" Mordred asked. "She had that pig and went a different way. One of us should follow her just in case."

"That won't be necessary." Riku quickly spoke. "She's probably just keeping the pig safe. Let's just stay after the target."

"She's a loose end, and I don't leave loose ends." Mordred told him with a bit of anger in his voice. He pulled out a dagger from his belt. "I'll go gut her and…"

"You're not doing anything!" Riku interrupted him with a suddenly raised voice. "Just stick to the mission."

"Who gave you the reigns to this operation, kid?" He glared at Riku for a moment before turning away and hurriedly walking in the direction Hinata had gone. "You go after the target; I'll only be a minute."

Riku immediately sprinted forward and stopped right in front of Mordred. He summoned Soul Eater and told him, "I said, stick to the mission."

Mordred threateningly stepped towards Riku while tightening his hold on the dagger. "You don't tell me what to do."

"He's right, Mordred," Bedivere spoke up.

"Stay out of this!" Mordred warned Bedivere. "This is between me and pretty boy here." He glared at Riku, "Get out of my way, boy."

"I'm not going anywhere." Riku told him.

"I don't take orders from runts," He growled. "If I have to cut you down to get to what I want, don't think I'll even hesitate."

A smirk appeared on Riku's face as he easily spun Soul Eater in his hand. "Go ahead," He goaded. "Try cutting me down. That will give me the chance to shut you up."

"With pleasure," Mordred growled.

"That's enough!" Bedivere exclaimed as he stepped in between them and pushed both of them back by their shoulders. "In case either of you have forgotten, we have a mission to finish," he explained as he glared at each of them. "We need to follow the other group before we lose their trail. Settle your quarrels when we return to the castle. Until then, put aside your differences and focus on the mission at hand."

Mordred pushed Bedivere's hand off his shoulder and pointed his dagger straight at Riku. "One more stunt like that, you little runt, and you'll be gutted like a fish."

Riku scoffed and mumbled under his breath, "I'd like to see you try."

"Not helping," Bedivere whispered to Riku with a slightly annoyed tone.

Riku dissipated Soul Eater, immediately feeling the intensity of his anger disappearing along with it. Letting out a long breath, he followed Bedivere through the forest, making sure to keep his distance from Mordred. They walked for hours without a single word being said between them. Occasionally, they could hear Eirian let out a roar from the sky as she flew up above them.

The trees around them slowly began to thin out and a thick green bog wafted a few feet above the muddy ground. Riku coughed from the increasingly foul stench that grew with every step he took. The sound of singing birds and chattering critters was replaced with belches from toads and growls from crocodiles.

Bedivere slowed to a stop, causing Mordred and Riku to stop as well. He looked around with an eyebrow raised and spoke up, "The Marshes of Morva? Is that where our target is leading us?"

"That would explain the smell," Mordred commented.

Bedivere nodded before adding, "We should be cautious. Very few people have ever ventured through these marshes. If the Cauldron is indeed here with our target, there is no way to know what we may encounter."

"One way to find out," Riku spoke up. "Do you know which way they went? We shouldn't be too far behind them."

"I've made sure to keep at least a mile between us and them throughout our journey." Bedivere informed them as he bent down and began studying the ground. "However, due to the environment, their tracks are proving rather hard to find."

"Great, you mean you lost our target?" Mordred groaned.

"Eirian may know where they are," Bedivere assured him as he raised his hand to his mouth to call her.

Before he could make a sound, the ground around them began to violently shake. The water of the swamp splashed wildly and the multitude of creatures scurried away to safety while yelping out in fright. A thick gray overcast of clouds suddenly covered the sky, rumbling with resounding thunder.

Riku struggled to keep his balance as the earth shook. He grabbed onto a nearby decaying tree trunk, anchoring himself onto it as he watched Mordred and Bedivere stumble about. He looked up at the darkening sky, swearing he could hear distant maniacal laughter mixing in with the thunder.

"What's happening?!" he yelled out to the others.

"I'm not sure!" Bedivere called back while falling into a nearby tree before finally grabbing onto it to keep his balance. "Perhaps they found the Cauldron!"

As the words left his mouth out in the distance they could see a towering mound of mud and earth rising out of the ground. The dirt crumbled away the higher it rose, revealing the large Black Cauldron. The moment it was exposed, everything went still.

Riku reluctantly released the tree he was holding onto and took deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. He stumbled forward, keeping his eyes locked on the Cauldron in the distance. "They found it…" He spoke under his breath.

"Oh really?" Mordred asked in a sarcastic tone. "What gave you that idea?"

Riku sent him a glare but didn't reply as he walked to Bedivere. "What's the plan?"

Bedivere also stared at the Cauldron with his mouth agape. As he looked, he could make out faint figures in a shroud of mist that stood around the Cauldron, each of them staring into the clouds above them. He raised his eyebrows and closed his mouth as he walked forward. "They found the Cauldron… But why are they staring into the sky?"

Riku and Mordred followed after Bedivere as he swiftly made his way towards the Cauldron. The closer they got, the more they could make out the misty figures as Taran and the others. Bedivere slowed to a stop at a safe distance and hid behind a large tree before motioning to the others to do the same.

"What is it?" Riku asked him once he was safely hidden.

Bedivere pointed towards the clouds where Taran and the others were staring. "Look, up there. There's something in the sky."

Riku followed his gaze and spotted three large figures floating in the clouds. They appeared to be women with lifeless, sunken-in eyes cackling down at Taran's group. Large warts speckled their gray skin and red hair frayed out from their ears as well as the tops of their heads.

"Witches…" Mordred said under his breath with obvious distaste.

"They must have been the ones guarding the Cauldron." Bedivere whispered.

The middle witch leaned forward from her place in the clouds and crowed, "Don't they know that the Black Cauldron is indestructible?" The other witches continued to cackle at her jeering, and she patted both her friends on their shoulders, making them quiet down before she continued talking to Taran. "Now listen carefully," she told him while pointing one of her malformed fingers at him. "The Black Cauldron can never be destroyed. Only its evil powers can be stopped!"

"Evil powers?" Bedivere repeated under his breath, giving a look back at Riku and Mordred.

They looked back towards the group to see Taran step forward and say, "Then there is a way! But how!?"

"A living being must climb into it of its own free will." The witch explained.

Gurgi hopped forward and spoke up, "Gurgi is bold and brave! He will climb into the evil Cauldron!"

"However," the witch added, "the poor duckling will never crawl out of the Cauldron alive."

"Yikes!" Gurgi squeaked and scrambled back. "Never mind Gurgi."

"You said we could have the Cauldron!" Eilonwy stepped forward with her arms crossed.

"Of course we said you could have the Cauldron!" One of the other witches spoke up, "It's not our fault you can't do anything with it!" With that she began to cackle along with the other witches as they disappeared into the clouds, their laughter still echoing through the sky.

"Now's our chance," Mordred spoke with a harsh whisper to Bedivere and Riku while pulling out a dagger from his belt. "Let's grab the Cauldron."

"Not so fast," Bedivere lifted his hand, stopping Mordred from revealing their hiding place. "We need to discuss our next course of action."

"What's the confusion?" Mordred asked with a frustrated tone. "Gut the kid, get the Cauldron and our bounty, then we're through."

"Haven't you the slightest curiosity what the King wants with the Cauldron?" Bedivere asked.

Mordred scoffed, "Of course not. As long as I get paid, our King can do whatever the hell he

wants."

"Do you know what it does Riku?" Bedivere looked over at him.

"What?" Riku asked, stupefied. "What makes you think I would know?"

"You made a comment about the Cauldron when we were first leaving on this journey," he recalled. "You know more than you let on."

Riku frowned, noticing both Mordred and Bedivere awaiting his answer. Shrugging, he admitted, "It can bring the dead back to life. Make them indestructible. The King wants to make an army with it."

"How do you know this?" Bedivere inquired.

"I just do," he curtly replied.

"Finally you do something useful." Mordred commented.

"You're one to talk," Riku retorted.

"Hey, we haven't had one thing to fight this whole time; I hadn't needed to do anything," Mordred pointed out. "You on the other hand have no reason to be here except tick me off."

"Mordred, please…" Bedivere cut in before saying. "We cannot allow the King to do this."

"No way," Mordred countered, "I'm only doing this for the bounty; if you two want to throw your lives away, count me out."

Bedivere nodded in acknowledgement before looking to Riku, "What do you think?"

"We can't let it fall into the King's hands, but how are we supposed to destroy it?" Riku asked. "That witch said someone has to willingly sacrifice themselves."

Bedivere glanced around the corner of their hiding place and saw that Taran and his group were still situated near the Cauldron, sitting around a small makeshift fire. "The strange gray creature-Gurgi, I believe he called himself-already stated that he would willingly go into it. Perhaps with some persuasion, he will uphold his promise."

"Alright, let's talk to him." Riku nodded, about to step out.

"Woah," Mordred grabbed Riku's shoulder and shoved him back. "Don't even think of destroying that Cauldron before I get my payment."

"Did you not just hear what we were talking about?" Riku asked him while rubbing his shoulder with an unappreciative look on his face. "We can't let the King get the Cauldron."

"Perhaps we can still receive payment before destroying the Cauldron." Bedivere suggested. "Render the group unconscious and take the Cauldron back to the castle…"

"Then after I get my reward you two can go off and finish your crusade." Mordred finished.

"Precisely," Bedivere nodded in agreement.

"It's risky," Riku blatantly pointed out.

"That is the life of a Bounty Hunter," Bedivere shrugged with a bit of a smirk.

Riku frowned and let out a long breath before resigning, "Alright, fine, we'll go with that. But that reward better be damn impressive."

Mordred snorted a laugh and hit Riku's shoulder. "Don't worry, pipsqueak; it is. And we'll never have to see each other again."

"At least there's one upside," he replied, rolling his sore shoulder.

"Since you are familiar with the target Riku, I want you to go out to them and serve as a distraction as Mordred and I take out the others," Bedivere went back to the mission. "And Mordred," he looked over at him with a serious look in his eyes. "Do not kill them. We need them alive for this to work."

Mordred scowled, "Fine. But the next mission we go on together, I'm killing everything we find."

Bedivere sighed, "Very well." He looked to Riku and asked, "Are you ready?

Riku half-smiled and gave a short nod before straightening his clothes and stepping out of his hiding spot behind the trees. A couple hundred feet away he could see Taran, Eilonwy, Fflewddur, and Gurgi all gather around a small glowing fire with solemn looks on their faces. They each stared at the flickering flames in silence, not even noticing as Riku approached them.

As Riku neared them, he cleared his throat to get their attention. Taran looked up first, his brown eyes widened when he saw Riku standing in front of them. He quickly stood up and cautiously walked towards him.

"You're… Riku, right?" Taran slowly asked.

"Uh, yeah," Riku admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was looking for Hinata, is she here with you?"

Taran's surprised expression fell to a frown as he apologized, "No, sorry. She left a while back to go looking for you."

"Oh, alright," Riku replied. He glanced behind Taran, spotting Bedivere and Mordred sneaking up to Eilonwy and Fflewddur.

Taran noticed Riku's gaze and was about to turn around to see what he was looking at before Riku quickly regained his attention.

"Do you know where she went?" Riku asked with a raised voice.

Taran whisked his eyes up to Riku, surprised by his loud tone. "She took Hen Wen back to my farm. She might still be there, if you want to check." He rubbed his hands together in front of him. "And… I'm sorry that you two got separated. It was our… I mean, my fault she got distracted when we were escaping the castle. She felt really bad about leaving you there."

"It's fine," he quickly assured him while glancing at Bedivere and Mordred, who were about to strike. Taking in a quick breath, Riku added. "She was just doing what she thought was best. I can take care of myself, she knows that."

Taran tried to laugh but it came out breathy and slightly bitter. "Both of you can." Clearing his throat he pointed behind him, "Anyways, we're about to leave to head back to my farm anyways. You can come along if you want."

Riku opened his mouth to reply but then closed it, unsure what to say. Instead he looked away with a frown. "I'll be fine," he eventually said.

"Well alright," Taran shrugged as he finally turned around. His eyes widened at the sight. Eilonwy and Fflewddur were both limp; unconscious on the ground around the fire. "Princess!" he yelled in panic.

He was about to run forward before Bedivere came up behind him and wrapped his arm around his neck. Taran coughed and desperately grabbed at Bedivere's strong grip, trying to gain a single breath. Riku watched him struggle, feeling a knot forming in his stomach as he watched the life slowly drain out of him. His heart caught in his throat when he noticed Taran's body go limp in Bedivere's arms. Bedivere released his hold around Taran's neck and easily picked him up, carrying him over to the others. Riku took a deep breath and swallowed his sudden bout of emotion before following.

"That gray thing got away," Mordred growled as Bedivere approached with Taran in his arms.

"We have the others," Bedivere assured him. "If we cannot convince any of these individuals to go into the Cauldron, surely this Gurgi will return in their stead if he is indeed their friend."

"Here's hoping," Riku commented before catching a loop of rope Mordred tossed to him.

"Tie them up," Mordred ordered him. "Hands and feet."

Riku nodded and quickly got to work. A sense of guilt settled in his gut as he bound them, but he quickly shook it away and asked, "How are we getting the Cauldron back if we have to carry these guys?"

"Eirian will carry the Cauldron." Bedivere informed him before letting out a piercing whistle.

With a roar, Eirian quickly flew through the thick clouds and landed beside them. Bedivere placed his hand on her snout as he whispered to her. When he was finished, she spread out her wings and hovered over the Cauldron. Using her sharp talons, she wrapped them around the handles of the Cauldron and lifted it into the sky with little effort.

"She will take it to the King." Bedivere explained as Eirian soared away. "If we hurry we will get there merely minutes after her."

"Good, I'm ready to get this job over with." Mordred replied before asking Riku. "You almost done?"

"Yeah," he replied. Riku stood back up straight and tossed Mordred the leftover rope. "They're ready to go."

"Perfect," Bedivere commented as he picked up Eilonwy. "Then let us be off."

Mordred picked up Fflewddur and slung him over his shoulder before following Bedivere out of the marshes. Riku bent down and grabbed Taran, also slinging him over his shoulder before going after the others. Taran was heavier than he had expected, making the trek back to the castle a bit more strenuous than he would have liked. Without a word said between any of them, they made it back to the castle within a few hours where the green goblin was waiting for them.

It hopped up and down, clapping its hands as it rejoiced. "You found it! Hurry, hurry! The King grows impatient!"

"Shut up!" Mordred and Riku both scolded at the same time. They gave each other a slight smirk before continuing forward.

Guards came over and took Taran and the others from them while the same guard that had assigned them together earlier stopped in front of them and gave them a short bow. "The King awaits you. Follow me."

"Alright," Mordred chuckled while cracking his knuckles, "Payment time."

They followed the guard through the castle gates, into the stone halls and the towers until they reached a small dark room with a single torch light on the far side of the room. As they entered the room, they saw the Horned King standing in the center. His red eyes glowed with excitement and a rare smile was on his face.

The guard that had shown them in bowed low to the ground, "Your Majesty, the men have returned with the Cauldron and the targets."

Mordred and Bedivere both bowed and Riku reluctantly followed suit.

"Rise honorable men of Prydain." The King's raspy voice proclaimed, waiting as they stood to their feet, "All of you have done a great service and will be richly rewarded." Motioning his head towards the guard he called out to them, "Retrieve their reward."

"Yes my Lord," the guard obeyed as he stood up and bowed once more before turning to leave the room.

Once the guard was gone, Bedivere stood and spoke up, "Excuse my forwardness, Your Majesty, but the details of our reward was never fully discussed before our departure. May I inquire of the details?"

A low rumble of laughter erupted from the King before he replied, "Indeed you may." Lifting his bony hands he proclaimed, "You shall be the leaders of my Cauldron Born!"

"Cauldron Born?" Bedivere slowly repeated while exchanging confused looks with Riku and Mordred. "We are to become warrior leaders?"

The door to the room swung open and guards poured into the room, surrounding the group. They moved aside to allow the King passage as he walked out of the room. As he neared the exit, he informed Bedivere and the others, "Unfortunately you living prevent such an honor; so allow my men to relieve you of your lives."

"What?!" Mordred exclaimed, already bringing out his blade. "You tricked us you…!"

The King interrupted with a raspy wicked laugh, "I look forward to you serving me in the next life." With that he left the room entirely, leaving them to their demise.

"I should have expected this," Bedivere scolded himself as he unsheathed a long thin rapier.

"None of us had any idea he was this insane," Riku replied as he held out his arm and summoned Soul Eater. He felt his heart racing in his chest and his adrenaline spiking as he looked at the multitude of guards surrounding them.

"Whatever," Mordred readied his blade that was already crusted with dried blood. "As long as I get to kill something, I'm not going to complain."

With a yell, he pounced forward, easily slashing through the front line of unprepared guards. They fell lifeless at his feet, their blood already drenching the floor as Mordred slashed ahead; sending the unmistakable metallic scent into the air. Riku blocked oncoming attacks before pushing them back and stabbing Soul Eater into a man's chest. He felt a slight trickle of guilt as he saw the life flee the man's body when he fell to the ground; but the oncoming attack of another enemy brought him back to reality. Bedivere swiftly and easily took down guard after guard without remorse or reaction. Using precise footwork, he moved around the room, stepping over the bodies in his way.

The battle went on in their favor and before they knew it, they were the only people that remained alive in the room. All around them, bodies were strewn on the floor. Riku stood there breathless as drops of blood and sweat dripped down his skin. A bout of nausea filled his stomach as he saw the scene around him, but he swallowed it back down and looked to the others. Bedivere calmly cleaned his rapier with one of the guard's clothes while Mordred let out a boisterous laugh.

"What a bunch of wusses!" He gloated while laughing. He walked over to Riku and smacked him on the back, causing him to stumble forward a couple steps. "You weren't half bad, kid."

Riku strained a smile before looking over to Bedivere and saying, "We need to get to the Cauldron."

"Indeed," Bedivere nodded as he pushed a couple bodies out of the way so he could open the door leading out of the room. "We do not have much time."

Carefully stepping over the bodies, Riku went over to the doorway and stepped out into the hall. He stopped mid-step as he saw a glowing green mist approaching them. It crawled through the cracks in the floor and walls, crumbling everything around it.

"What is that?" he asked, taking a couple steps back.

Bedivere looked out at the mist and re-readied his weapon. "I fear we may be too late. Prepare to battle again."

Riku looked at Bedivere and opened his mouth to say something; but before any words could leave his mouth the green mist made contact with his skin. He winced as it soaked into him, surrounding his entire body until he couldn't see anything but the mist. He could faintly hear Bedivere and Mordred's voices yelling at him, but they seemed distant and unintelligible. The corners of his vision began to blur and he fell to his knees, suddenly weak.

"W-what's happening…?" he feebly asked before losing consciousness.

He abruptly opened his eyes and stood back up straight. Green mist covered the walls and he could hear blades clashing in the room beside him. He glanced into the doorway, seeing Mordred and Bedivere fighting against the same guards that had been slain just minutes before. Looking away he simply walked down the hall, ignoring their calls after him.

Following the mist, he went through various halls and stairways until reaching the catacombs where he saw the Black Cauldron in the center of the room with the same green mist around the castle oozing out of it. Up above the Cauldron along a wooden balcony was Taran, Eilonwy, and Fflewddur tied up against the wall, forced to watch the entire event transpire.

"Riku!" Taran yelled out to him. "What are you doing here, you traitor?! Are you working for the Horned King?!"

He looked up at Taran with an uninterested look on his face but didn't say anything. Instead he looked away and saw the Horned King standing by the Cauldron with a large grin plastered on his face as all of the skeletons and corpses around him rose from the ground. The King looked over and immediately frowned when he saw Riku standing there.

"Do you see now?" The King asked him with his hands in the air. "My phantom warriors have come to life! All dead from centuries past! Never has anyone created an army like this!"

"I thank you for bringing me life, but it's not yet time…" Riku finally spoke up.

The King's grin immediately disappeared when he heard Riku speak. "Your voice…" he said. "It is as if two voices are speaking at once. How is this possible?"

Riku laughed, his voice mixed with a much deeper, menacing voice. "You understand nothing. You think this army will serve you well. Instead you will fall prey to the same power you try so hard to possess."

The King scoffed, "What does a boy know of such things?"

Riku raised his hand, instantly engulfing it with a dark, sparking mass of magic. A devilish smirk appeared on his face when he saw the King's eyes widen from the spectacle. Before the King knew what he was doing, Riku quickly threw his hand out, pummeling the dark magic into the King's chest and sending him sliding against the floor.

Eilonwy let out a shriek from the sight as Riku stalked up to the King and grabbed him by his robe before slamming him against the wall. A handful of the Cauldron Born attempted to cut him down, but they were stopped by a shimmering barrier magically put around Riku and the King.

The King coughed and wheezed as blood splattered out of his mouth. He looked into Riku's eyes and asked with a weak voice, "Who are you…?"

"I am the darkness you sense in this boy's heart…" he replied. "Ansem."

"What is it that you want?" The King asked while grasping at his chest where he had been shot. Blood seeped in between his fingers, dripping down his arms.

"Tell me how to destroy the Cauldron." Ansem demanded.

The King managed a weak raspy laugh, "Would you not rather learn how to control it?"

Ansem scoffed, "I have no need for an army of worthless bones." He summoned Soul Eater and held it up to his throat. "Now tell me how to destroy it!"

"Someone must willingly sacrifice themselves and enter the Cauldron!" Eilonwy shouted from above. "That's the only way it can be stopped!"

Without looking over at her, Ansem gave a simple nod of acknowledgement before looking into the Horned King's fading eyes. "Then you are of no further use to me." Without hesitation he plunged Soul Eater into the King's stomach and ripped it out, allowing the King to slump to the ground and slowly bleed out. "Pathetic…" he commented under his breath as he turned around and dissipated the magic barrier separating him from the Cauldron Born. He looked up at Taran and the others and yelled, "One of you must enter the Cauldron, I care not which."

With that he turned and headed back up the steps to exit the castle completely. As he approached the main hall he spotted Mordred and Bedivere running towards him, both of them covered with blood and cuts, yet still alive.

"What was that about pipsqueak?" Mordred asked as he slowed to a stop. "We were…"

Ansem scowled and grabbed Mordred by the collar before slamming him into the wall. "If you wish to live, you will never refer to me like that again…"

Mordred struggled against Riku's hold and stammered, "Alright, alright, Riku, geez."

Ansem smirked and released him before turning around, "It's Ansem."

"Ansem… got it." Mordred replied, rubbing his neck. "What's with that voice?"

"It would be wise to leave here." Ansem informed them, ignoring Mordred's question.

"I agree, but what of the Horned King and the Cauldron?" Bedivere asked.

"It is taken care of," He explained as he already began walking forward to leave. "The King is dead and the Cauldron will be destroyed momentarily."

Mordred and Bedivere exchanged a look but followed after Ansem regardless. They fought through the frail Cauldron Born as they made their way out of the castle completely. Bedivere took point to lead the way and as they reached the castle gates the ground around them began to rumble and one by one the Cauldron Born began falling to the ground, the green mist evaporating into the air. As they fell, Ansem also fell to his knees, crying out in pain.

"What is happening?" Bedivere asked, kneeling beside Ansem as he fell.

"The Cauldron…" Ansem explained through clenched teeth." It's… been destroyed…" As the final word left his mouth he fell to the ground unconscious.

The castle continued to shake and tremble as the green mist disappeared. Entire towers and bridges began collapsing and crumbling to the ground.

"We need to get out of here!" Bedivere yelled over the commotion.

"What about the ki- I mean Ansem?" Mordred asked.

"Carry him," Bedivere told him, "We must move, now!"

Mordred quickly swept him up in his arms before following Bedivere. They ran through the castle gates, refusing to look back at the disintegrating castle behind them. The thin path that led from the castle to the forest began to dissolve beneath their feet as they sprinted away; but they managed to make it to the forest before everything behind them crumbled away. They looked back just in time to see the entire castle sink into the chasm below.

"So much for that reward…" Mordred commented, making Bedivere chuckle in response. He placed Riku on the ground, propping him up against a rock. As he stood back up straight he crossed his arms and told Bedivere, "There's more to this kid than I thought."

"Indeed," Bedivere nodded. "He spoke of a darkness he possessed but I wasn't sure if I fully believed him. After that encounter however-"

He was interrupted by a sudden rustle in the foliage behind them. They spun around and pulled out their blades; prepared for anything. Hinata suddenly rushed into the clearing, stopping short when she saw Mordred and Bedivere standing there. She placed her hands over the hilts of her blades before she spotted Riku lying unconscious against the rock.

"Riku," she exclaimed as she rushed to him and knelt down in front of him. She placed her hands along his face and his chest, worry striking her face as she noticed all the cuts and blood on him. "What happened to him? Is he alright?" she asked with distress plain in her voice.

Mordred stared at Hinata in complete confusion as he slowly lowered his blade. He looked over at Bedivere, who shrugged in response before addressing Hinata.

"We're not sure," he slowly answered her, kneeling down beside them. "I take it you're Hinata?"

Hinata glanced over at him and nodded, "Yes."

He sweetly smiled at her and placed his right hand over his chest, "I am Sir Bedivere and this is Mordred."

Hinata looked up at Mordred and forced a small smile before looking back at Riku. "I was on my way to a pond to return a friend; but then when I saw the castle collapsing I ran as fast as I could." She noticed a few more cuts on his skin before asking again. "What happened?"

"It's a bit of a long story." Bedivere admitted. "But in short, Riku helped stop the Horned King."

A small smile appeared on Hinata's face. "So he actually did it. I wish I could've been there with him."

"Do you know anything about the darkness inside of him?" Bedivere asked.

"What?" Hinata looked over at him with confusion.

"When the Cauldron was activated, he called himself Ansem," Bedivere informed her.

"And his voice was all messed up," Mordred shortly added.

"Ansem…" Hinata repeated. "Where have I heard that before…?"

Her thoughts were interrupted when Riku slowly began to stir. He let out a small groan as he moved his stiff muscles before opening his eyes. His vision took a moment to focus as he realized he was no longer in the castle.

"Wh-where am I?" he weakly asked before noticing, "Hinata? What are you doing here?"

Hinata let out a breath of relief as a grin appeared on her face and she immediately wrapped her arms around Riku, not noticing the way he winced from the sudden contact. "I'm so glad you're alright," she sighed.

"I'm glad you are, too," he told her with slight embarrassment as he glanced up at Mordred and Bedivere, who only smirked in response. "But uh… What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Bedivere asked as Hinata pulled back from Riku.

He shook his head. "No… One moment we were being attacked by those guards, and the next… I'm out here."

"Well as far as we know, you gutted the Horned King and got those kids to destroy that Cauldron." Mordred told him.

"I did?" Riku asked.

"He did what?" Hinata asked, equally surprised. "And wait, what kids?" She asked while standing up.

"We don't know for certain," Bedivere told her, "That is just what he told us when we were escaping the castle."

Hinata frowned and looked down at Riku, seeing him slowly move with pained expressions. Taking a deep breath, she looked back to Bedivere and told him, "Thank you for helping him. We got separated earlier."

"I take it you escaped with Taran while he stayed behind?" Bedivere presumed.

"Yes, how do you know?" Hinata asked.

"I pick up on things rather easily," he simply smiled. "Riku mentioned running into Taran during his escape and-"

"Hinata," Riku interrupted without thinking, "What are you even doing out here? How did you know where I was?"

"Oh, I was just returning Tylwyth home before I went to go looking for you," she explained.

"Who?" He asked.

A sparkling blue mist floated up from Hinata's blade sheath and transformed into a small girl with long blonde hair. "That would be me!" she chimed with a small voice.

"Remarkable," Bedivere spoke up as he stepped forward. "Are you by chance a Fair Folk?"

Tylwyth nodded, "Uh-huh!"

"You managed to take a Fair Folk out of the water?" Bedivere asked Hinata.

"Well, it wasn't on purpose," Hinata admitted. "She sort of stowed away on me and once I discovered her, she convinced me to let her tag along to help me find my way around."

"Yep!" Tylwyth agreed. "I'm a great navigator!"

As Bedivere conversed with Tylwyth, Mordred held out his hand to Riku to help him up. Riku hesitantly took it and was hoisted up to his feet. He took a moment to regain his balance but soon stood on his own.

Mordred didn't let go of him for a moment and mentioned to him. "You could have just told me she was with you."

Riku looked over at Hinata and shook his head, "I didn't want to get her involved."

"Yeah, well from now on you have my respect," he told him.

Riku looked over at him almost incredulously. "What? I do? Why?"

"There's a lot more to you than meets the eye, kid." Mordred admitted, "I thought you were all talk, but you surprised me." He smacked him on the back, making Riku wince, before releasing him and stepping back. "So, from now on, you have my respect."

A half-smile appeared on Riku and he shrugged, "Well thanks, I guess."

"Yeah, well don't push it." Mordred told him before walking off.

Riku chuckled and looked over at Hinata as she talked with Tylwyth and Bedivere. She caught his gaze and smiled back at him, but Riku still noticed an uneasy look in her eyes, more so than he had noticed earlier.

"We should take Tylwyth back to her people, but then we should head home ourselves," he told her. "We finished the mission."

She smiled at him, "Or really, you did. I just wandered around with a pig."

He chuckled, "You did a lot more than you think."

"Well then," Bedivere cut in, "I believe I will accompany you to the Fair Folk. I'd love to talk more with Tylwyth along the way."

"Oh yay!" Tylwyth giggled as she sat on Bedivere's shoulder.

Mordred let out a long breath and added, "I guess I'll go, too… Not like I have anything else to do."

They walked on ahead, leaving Riku and Hinata trailing near the back.

Riku reached for Hinata's arm before she could walk too far ahead of him and made her look back at him. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

She half-smiled at him. "I could ask you the same thing. You look really beat up."

"I don't mean physically," he told her, giving her a concerned look. "Something seems off."

She looked away and let out a breath. "It's… nothing." She glanced at him, noticing his unconvinced expression. She paused for a moment, then gave in: "Alright, it's a lot more than nothing but I don't want to get into it right now. I'm just happy we're both safe."

"Me too," he smiled quickly leaning forward and giving her a short kiss. "I was really worried about you."

She smiled genuinely as they began to walk after the group. "You're one to talk. I had no idea where you were or what you were doing. And then I find you all cut up and unconscious with a couple strangers. I really want to know what all happened."

"You and me both." He admitted as they continued to walk. He reached over and grabbed her hand, making sure that no one was looking back at them. "Everything's fine now though."

"Yeah…" Hinata replied as her voice trailed off. She stared off ahead, her mind going back to the vision Hen Wen had shown her. Things were far from fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** Author's Note: Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And extra thanks to Jackaayy on DeviantArt for offering to edit my newest chapters. You're help is beyond appreciated! ***


	19. Confessions

Hinata glanced over at Riku as they walked after the rest of the group. He was still splattered with blood and covered in cuts, but she couldn't help from smiling to see him beside her. He caught her glance and looked back at her with an equal smile before giving her hand a small squeeze.

"What?" he asked her with a quieted tone.

"Oh, nothing," she quickly looked back ahead before adding, "I'm just really glad we're back together. Let's not get separated on missions again."

He breathily laughed, "Agreed, but we might not be able to help it."

Hinata smiled for a moment before asking, "By the way, how did you get the Cauldron from Taran?"

Riku fell silent as his smile transformed into a hard to read expression. He rubbed the back of his neck and noticed as Hinata looked over at him with concern. "It… well, it didn't exactly go like I thought it would."

Her eyebrows sunk slightly, showing signs of apprehension. "What do you mean?" she slowly asked.

"We followed Taran to the Cauldron but we found out that the only way to destroy the Cauldron is to have someone willing sacrifice themselves and go inside of it." He explained. "So… we captured them and took them back to the castle with us along with the Cauldron."

"You what?" Hinata abruptly stopped walking and whisked her hand back from Riku. She noticed everyone looking back at her from her outburst, causing her cheeks to slightly flush. Looking to Riku, she spoke with a shaking voice, "Um, I thought what we discussed was that no harm would come to them. You'd take the Cauldron and leave them alone."

"I know that was the plan, but things changed," he admitted as he uncomfortably glanced at the others still staring at them.

"Things changed?" She repeated. "I left Taran and the others because I thought they would be safe! Instead I probably willingly led them to their death because I trusted you!"

"Hinata, calm down," he steadily spoke as he walked towards her. "This isn't the time to talk about this."

"Did they get out of the castle?" She asked him with a quieter voice.

He slightly frowned and averted his gaze.

"Riku, did they?" she asked again.

"I-I don't know," he confessed. "The guards took them from us when we got there, I don't know where they were taken."

Hinata let out a breath of disbelief and shook her head as tears stung the corners of her eyes. "I can't talk about this right now…" she told him as she turned and walked on ahead, passing the others.

Bedivere slowly turned back around and began following after Hinata, continuing his conversation with Tylwyth. Riku let out a long breath and rubbed the back of his neck with a frown on his face.

"Don't worry about her, kid," Mordred walked up to him, getting Riku's attention. "It's her loss if she doesn't understand."

Riku stared at Mordred for a moment before commenting, "That's almost nice of you to say."

He shrugged, "I have my moments. But if you really want my advice, I'd forget her." He noticed the distaste in Riku's expression, but added, "You have potential to be something great. Don't let some female keep you from that just because it doesn't fit into her moral code or whatever." When Riku didn't respond he smirked and gave him a hard pat on the back before turning to follow the others.

Hinata walked on ahead, wiping away a stray tear that fell down her cheek.

"Hinata," Tylwyth's small voice caught her attention as she landed on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head and replied, "I'll be alright. Just… taking a lot in."

"I don't think Riku meant to hurt your friends," Tylwyth offered.

"Indeed, he was against it." Bedivere commented, making Hinata glance over at him as he walked beside her.

"He was?" she asked.

Bedivere nodded and informed her, "When we found Taran, Riku's plan was to talk with him and destroy the Cauldron where we found it. It was Mordred and I that insisted we do otherwise."

"Why didn't you go with Riku's plan?" She asked.

"We are Bounty Hunters; despite our beliefs that the Cauldron should be destroyed, we still required payment," he explained. "Riku did not agree with our plan, but since he was outnumbered he went along with it regardless."

"He was just trying to make everyone happy…" Hinata realized.

"See, he wasn't trying to hurt them!" Tylwyth assured her.

Hinata nodded before asking, "Riku told me someone had to sacrifice themselves in order for the Cauldron to be destroyed. Who went in?"

"That I am not sure of," Bedivere told her. "The creature, Gurgi, stated that he would go into the Cauldron, but when we captured the group he was not among them. Ansem seemed to know what happened, but unfortunately Riku does not recall it."

"Ansem…" Hinata repeated the name under her breath. "It sounds really familiar."

"Oh, we're here!" Tylwyth interrupted the conversation as she floated up from Hinata's shoulder.

Hinata looked up and found that they arrived at the same pond she had been sucked into earlier. The marks in the mud from her struggle were still along the water line. She let out a long breath and spoke to Tylwyth, "Then I suppose this is goodbye."

Tylwyth let out a small pout, "Do I really have to go? I really love it up here!"

"I know, but your people need you," Hinata told her. "Plus, won't your Uncle Doli be wondering where you are?"

Tylwyth solemnly nodded before looking over to Bedivere. "Don't you think I should stay?"

"I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversation, but Lady Hinata is right. Your place is with your people." He replied.

"Alright…" Tylwyth resigned. "I'll go home." Hinata smiled and held out her hand, allowing Tylwyth to land on her palm. Hugging Hinata's thumb she squeaked, "I'm going to miss you . Thank you for the adventure."

Hinata smiled at the tiny girl, "I'll miss you too. And thank you for helping me find my way." When she saw the shimmer of a tear going down Tylwyth's cheek she assured her, "Hey, this isn't goodbye. I'm sure we'll see each other again someday."

"I hope so," Tylwyth wiped away her tears and floated up. "Until next time." Giving one last smile to the others she floated down into the water's surface making it shimmer as she disappeared into it.

Once the water returned back to normal, Bedivere asked. "How did you get to the Fair Folk world?"

"On accident," she shrugged. "I was with Taran and the others and Gurgi tried hopping across some rocks to get across. But then the water suddenly turned into this whirlpool and sucked all of us into it."

"That would explain why you placed your blade in the mud bank," he surmised. "You were trying to keep everyone afloat."

"Yeah." She looked up at him confused and asked. "How did you know I did that?"

"When we were following you guys we found your blade here by the water," Riku informed her as he walked up behind them. "It's actually what led us to believe you guys were even in water."

"Yeah, your boyfriend here got the idea to wait it out until you guys came out of the water again," Mordred added. "And when you went the other way, I tried to go after you but he stopped me."

"Really?" she asked, looking over at Riku as he looked away slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, even pulled his sword on me," Mordred told her.

"So you guys saw me taking Hen Wen and that's when you followed after Taran and the others," she spoke aloud as she figured things out.

"Basically," Riku nodded, looking back at her with a small smile.

She smiled back at him before Mordred spoke up.

"Now that girl's gone, where to next?" Mordred asked. "It's not like either of us have a home to go back to."

"You lived in the castle?" Hinata asked, only getting a nod from Mordred in response.

"We can head to the Eagle Mountains," Bedivere told him. "Or at the very least that is where I will venture. The homes out there are secluded and will serve as a good place for Eirian to stay."

"Eirian?" Hinata repeated the name softly, looking over at Riku.

"I'll tell you later," he mouthed the words to her, getting a nod in response.

"Alright, fine; the Eagle Mountains it is," Mordred agreed.

Bedivere nodded, "We will begin our journey at dawn. For now, let us make camp as the sun is beginning to set."

Mordred nodded and already began gathering pieces of wood to create a fire.

As he worked, Bedivere looked over at Riku and asked, "Where do you reside?"

"Oh, we are from far away," Hinata replied, making Riku shake his head.

"We're from the north," Riku told him. "We came here on a mission to destroy the Cauldron; now that that's done we're going to head home. So… thanks for everything."

"You're departing now?" Bedivere asked. "It is reckless to travel the forest at night. Why not stay the night here and depart in the morning on a full night's rest?"

Riku glanced back at Hinata and she shrugged her shoulders with a small smile. Letting out a breath, Riku nodded. "Alright. We'll stay the night here with you guys."

"Great, now send the woman to gather some food for dinner," Mordred spoke up as he worked on creating a fire.

Hinata scowled. "This woman has a name," she rebutted. "And no, gather your own damn food, I'm not your maid."

Mordred looked up at her with distaste before glancing at Riku, "You have horrible taste in women."

"What did you-" Hinata began to object before Riku grabbed her arm and spoke up.

"She's right; you can get your own food," Riku told him. "What about that creature you killed and ate earlier?"

"I can, but I'm starting the camp's fire," Mordred told him with an annoyed voice. "I was only suggesting she pull her weight."

Hinata scoffed, "Alright fine, I'll go 'pull my weight.' I sure hope you don't choke on whatever I get and you'd better hope it's not poisonous." She turned around and grumbled under her breath as she disappeared into the forest.

"Was that really necessary Mordred?" Bedivere sighed once Hinata was gone. He stood and began undoing his coat and tunic.

"I was just saying…" he mumbled.

"Don't get her riled up," Riku told him. "She's already dealing with enough things."

When Mordred didn't reply, he looked over at Bedivere, noticing him cleaning the blood and dirt off of his clothes in the pond. Riku nodded and took off his scarf before undoing his own tunic. As he pulled the fabric off, he heard some rustling in the bushes. He turned around to see Hinata come back out of the brush.

"I was just wondering what…" She stopped short when she saw Riku holding his shirt under his arm. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at him. Clearing her throat, she averted her eyes and tried again, "I-I was just wondering what type of food I should get."

"Anything would work," Bedivere told her. "I will also go out to search for food, so perhaps some sort of berry or nut."

"Sounds good," Hinata nodded, giving one last look at Riku before turning around and rushing back into the forest. As she walked she shook her head and groaned, "How can he still look like that even after all the stuff he went through today? I must look horrible…" She ran her hand through her oily, knotted hair and looked down at her once white dress that was ripped and speckled with dirt and blood. Letting out a breath, she admitted, "I'm being ridiculous… Maybe Riku does have bad taste in girls. I've been getting mad at him about every little thing and leaving him behind to fend for himself… Some girlfriend I am."

"Hinata?" A sudden familiar voice called out her name from within the brush.

Hinata abruptly stopped walking and spun around, trying to make out the source of the voice; but her surroundings were too dark to make much out. "Um… yes?" she called back.

She heard some rustling bushes across from her and took a couple steps forward to see it better. As she walked forward she made out three figures coming towards her. As they came closer, her eyes widened.

"Eilonwy?" she asked with surprise. "Fflewddur, Taran?"

"Oh Hinata!" Eilonwy exclaimed, running forward and giving Hinata a tight hug. "It is you!"

Hinata hugged her back while looking at Taran and Fflewddur smiling at her. "I'm so glad you guys are alright. How did you escape the castle?"

Eilonwy pulled back from Hinata, "How did you know we were at the castle?"

"I heard from Riku," Hinata told her. "I found him after the castle got destroyed and he told me you guys were at the castle when he was there."

"He was the one that brought us there," Eilonwy solemnly told her.

"Yeah… I heard that too," Hinata admitted. "I'm really sorry, I didn't know…"

"It's not your fault," Taran interrupted her.

"Indeed, that boy's actions were his own doing." Fflewddur added. "We would never hold you accountable for his actions."

Hinata gave him a slightly confused look. "Did he do something else? You make it sound like he did something awful."

They all exchanged looks. "You mean you don't know?" Eilonwy asked her.

Hinata awkwardly laughed, "Well, I wouldn't really be asking if I did. He told me he doesn't remember anything after getting back to the castle." She looked between them, "Did something happen? Was he responsible for the Cauldron being destroyed?"

"Partly," Eilonwy admitted, giving Taran a concerned look. "Should we tell her?"

"She deserves to know," Fflewddur told her.

Eilonwy nodded and uncomfortably rubbed her hands together in front of her as she explained. "After Riku brought us back to the castle, we were tied up above the Cauldron so we would have to watch the Horned King as he activated it. But shortly after he did, Riku came into the room… yet he wasn't exactly himself. It was as if another voice was speaking over his, something frightening."

"We tried calling out to him but he barely even looked at us," Taran added. "He went to the Horned King and demanded he tell him how to destroy the Cauldron."

"While torturing him I might add," Fflewddur cut in.

"Wait…" Hinata interrupted. "That doesn't make sense. Riku knew how to destroy the Cauldron. He knew that when he initially found you guys."

"We don't know about that," Taran told her. "But that's what he was talking about with the Horned King until Eilonwy told him how to destroy it."

"I wish I hadn't…" Eilonwy shook her head.

"Why?" Hinata asked.

"Because right after I did Riku stabbed the King and just let him lie there as he… bled everywhere. It was horrid," she explained.

"It's not like you guys particularly liked the guy," Hinata pointed out, noticing the looks they gave her. "I'm just saying that it's not like he did that to one of you guys. He killed the guy that was trying to take over the world."

"But why did he have to do it so horribly?" Eilonwy asked. "Before he stabbed him he shot him with a dark magic that was already slowly killing the King."

"Dark magic?" Hinata repeated, her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered the vision. Shaking her head, she told them, "Look… I know what you saw Riku do was unsettling, but I don't think he was in control of that. From what I've heard he has no memory of it and I know he would never willingly do something like that." When the others didn't respond, she asked. "So, alright… he killed the Horned King, what happened after that?"

"He said that one of us had to go into the Cauldron and he didn't care which one it was," Fflewddur recalled.

Hinata looked between them. "But you're all here, so what happened?"

"Gurgi…" Taran solemnly spoke. "He… followed us to the castle and untied us. But then… he jumped into the Cauldron to save us."

"Gurgi did it?" Hinata repeated, looking away with a frown. "He gave up his life for all of us."

"And after how horrible I was to him…" Taran sadly spoke.

"I was, too," Hinata agreed while taking a deep breath. "So… Gurgi jumped in and stopped the Cauldron. Then you guys escaped and got back to the forest."

"That about sums it up," Fflewddur nodded. "I must say, Hinata, you should be careful around this Riku. It may be wise to come with us so you-"

"That won't be necessary," she interrupted him. "I know you guys haven't really seen the best side of him, but Riku isn't a bad person."

Taran scoffed, "You're blinded by your love for him to see how awful he really is!"

Hinata whisked her attention to Taran and told him, "The way I feel about Riku has nothing to do with this. I'm just telling you he isn't a bad person."

"You should still be cautious of him," Fflewddur warned. "He tracked us down and captured us. For all he knew, we could have been executed upon arrival!"

"But you weren't!" Hinata pointed out. "He didn't want to capture you guys, he was-"

"Only following orders?" Taran interrupted with his arms crossed. "What happens when he gets an order that will hurt you?"

"He wouldn't do that," Hinata assured him before closing her eyes and putting her hands in front of her. "You know what…? I don't need to deal with this. You guys don't know anything about Riku or me for that matter. I get you're worried about me, but don't. Riku was just doing what he thought was best and I'm sorry for the situation that put you in, but don't just assume that means he's an awful person." She took a deep breath and turned around, "I'm glad you guys are safe. Now if you'll excuse me I need to find some food." Once the words left her mouth, she began to walk away.

"Hinata! Please wait!" Eilonwy called after her.

"Now Princess, I think it would be best if we leave her be," Fflewddur advised her. "She clearly doesn't want to hear what we have to say."

"Hinata?" Riku's voice came from the brush, causing them to look over as he appeared in front of them. He spun in place, not noticing Taran and the others in the darkness as he called out again. "Hinata? Are you out here?"

"She just left to look for some food," Eilonwy spoke up, causing Riku to quickly look over at her.

He smiled half-relieved when he saw them, "I'm glad you guys made it out. Hinata's been worried."

"Yeah, no thanks to you," Taran derided, not hiding the distaste in his voice. "Got any other evil plans we should know about?"

Riku looked over at Taran with a frown and said, "Look, I'm sorry for what happened, but you guys are obviously fine." He looked back to Eilonwy and asked, "Which way did Hinata go? I don't want her wandering out here by herself in the dark."

Eilonwy opened her mouth to respond, but Taran cut in, "You know, she likes you way too much. She's ignoring all the obviously terrible things you're doing."

"What?" Riku asked with a short voice as he glared over at Taran. "You don't really have any business with what's going on between us."

"She's our friend and we want her to be safe," Eilonwy spoke up. "After everything you did to us and the Horned King, we're worried about her."

Riku scoffed, "I don't have time for this. Just tell me which way she went and we'll leave you guys alone."

"Do you even care about Hinata?" Taran asked, ignoring Riku's words. "From what I've seen of you so far, I think you're just keeping her around for your own personal gain. You don't care who gets hurt or what you have to do, as long as you get the job done. And the moment Hinata gets in the way of that you'll just throw her out!"

Riku clenched his fists, fighting the urge to summon Soul Eater to teach him a lesson. "You really think I'm that shallow?" he asked him with a raised voice. "You've barely known me for a day and you think you know everything about me?"

"You're only saying that because you know I'm right!" Taran stepped forward with his fists clenched at his sides.

With a growl, Riku reached forward and grabbed Taran by the collar. He glared into Taran's frightened eyes and felt a trickle of adrenaline in his other hand, as if some sort of power was attempting to spark. Taking a deep breath he released Taran and told him, "You really need to learn to shut your mouth." He looked over at Eilonwy and asked her again, much sternly, "Which way did Hinata go?"

Eilonwy silently pointed with a shaking hand. Riku gave her a quick nod before swiftly walking away. He roughly pushed aside branches and leaves in his path while grumbling under his breath. Taran's words echoed in his mind, only making him all the angrier.

"Riku?" Hinata's voice brought him out of his trance and he slowed to a stop.

Looking up he saw her standing a few feet away from him. She held up the front of her dress to create a makeshift basket for a large pile of berries she had found.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

Without replying, Riku walked forward and cupped her face in his hands. He looked at her concerned eyes for a moment before meeting their lips together, releasing all of the bottled up emotion he had carried that day. Hinata kissed him back, her cheeks deeply flushing from the intensity and almost allowed her grip on her dress to slip.

When Riku attempted to deepen the kiss, Hinata pulled away and whispered hoarsely, "Riku…" She closed her eyes as Riku began kissing her neck since she wanted to talk. "Can't you do this when I'm not holding our dinner? You're going to make me drop it."

Riku smiled as he reluctantly pulled back and planted a small kiss on the tip of her nose, "Oh, you're no fun."

Hinata slung her head down as she laughed, "Whatever, I am tons of fun."

Riku chuckled in response as he ran his hands up and down her arms. They stood there in silence for a moment before Hinata spoke up again.

"I… wanted to apologize... about earlier." She looked back up at him with a sad glint in her eyes. "You've been through a lot lately, especially today, and all I've done is make things worse. I've been getting mad about really little things and taking a lot of stuff out on you that you don't deserve." She averted her gaze and admitted, "I should be there for you like you are for me, and… I'm sorry."

Riku placed his hand under her chin, making her look back at him before giving her another short but sweet kiss. "Don't worry about it," he assured her with a smile. "But thanks."

She smiled back and looked down at the berries in her dress. "I guess I should be getting these back to the camp. Wouldn't want Mordred to starve."

Riku snickered, "Oh he could stand to wait a bit." He reluctantly pulled his hands back from Hinata and grabbed a handful of the berries. They were golden in color and had the appearance of a raspberry. Giving one of them a quick look he tossed it into his mouth and bit down. "That's delicious," he commented before shoving a bunch more in.

Hinata chuckled, "Yeah I know, Tylwyth showed me them when we were traveling together, so when Bedivere mentioned berries, they were the first thing I thought of."

Riku nodded as he grabbed another handful of berries and continued to snack. "I'm sorry for the comments Mordred made by the way. He's like that with everyone."

"I figured as much," Hinata sighed. "It's no wonder you tried to stop him from coming after me, I would've hated meeting him when he wasn't on my side."

He smiled, "Yeah, he can be pretty brutal."

"So Bedivere and Mordred were the two guys the King sent you on the mission with?" she asked him.

"Mm-hmm," he replied with a mouth full of berries.

He was about to reach for another handful before Hinata pulled them out of his reach. "We need to make sure we have enough for everyone," she lightly scolded him. "I'm not going back for more."

Riku gave her a discontented look but resigned, "Alright fine. Hopefully Bedivere found some food."

"For being teamed up with Bounty Hunters, you guys seem to get along well enough," she pointed out.

He shrugged, "Bedivere and I get along at least. It's a mixed bag with Mordred. He's threatened to gut me like a fish a few times now."

Hinata made a face before remembering, "Oh. I ran into Taran and the others on my way to find food."

"Yeah, I ran into them too." He replied with a monotone voice.

Hinata glanced up at him, "Did Taran say something?"

"Of course he did; that brat doesn't know when to shut his mouth," Riku grumbled.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "He really gets ahead of himself sometimes."

"Yeah…" he quietly replied.

When he didn't say anything more Hinata looked up at him and nudged him with her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Not particularly…" he shortly replied. "I'd rather forget it ever happened."

Hinata stopped walking, causing Riku to look back at her. "What did he say?"

"I don't want to go into it," he shook his head.

"Riku…" she started to say.

"Hinata, please," he gave her a pleading look. "Let's just forget those guys and enjoy our night together." He walked back to her and placed his hands along her arms. "Where the camp is there is a clearing in the trees that shows the sky. We should stargaze tonight when it's our turn to take watch. And when was the last time we got to be around a campfire?"

Hinata giggled, making him get a confused expression.

"What?" he asked.

"You are surprisingly romantic sometimes," she told him with a laugh in her voice.

"What?" he asked, while taking his hands back from her. "Whatever." He turned around and began walking away again. "Am not."

"Yeah, because stargazing and snuggling by a campfire is totally not romantic," she teased him.

"Hey, I never said anything about holding you by the campfire," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but you know you are," she shrugged while giving him a smirk.

"Well yeah, but I didn't say it," he admitted, his cheeks flushing when she giggled in response.

She leaned up on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on his cheek. "You know, no matter what's happened, I feel like I'm always happiest when I'm with you." She noticed Riku look over at her as she added, "Like it's as if all the other stuff going on doesn't matter when it's just the two of us, even if it is only for a little while."

Riku slightly smiled and commented, "That's pretty sappy."

She snorted a short laugh, "Well it's true."

He smirked, "Yeah, I think so too."

They exchanged a sweet smile as they continued to walk. The rest of their way back to the camp went relatively uneventful as they chatted about various things. By the time they returned, Bedivere was cooking a couple of rabbits over the fire as Mordred laid on the ground, staring up at the stars.

"Welcome back," Bedivere greeted them as they came into view.

"Finally you're back." Mordred commented, "I was beginning to think you two ran off to head back home. Not that I would really care either way."

Riku looked over at Hinata, "I didn't think about that."

Hinata shrugged and quietly told him, "We could use a night out." She turned back to Bedivere and held out her dress. "I brought back some berries."

"Splendid," Bedivere smiled and pulled out a large leaf. "You can put those here; they will go well with the rabbit."

Hinata did as he said before sitting down in front of the small fire beside Riku. She leaned her head against his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her back. They all ate the dinner together and afterwards Bedivere and Mordred told stories of past jobs they had taken throughout their careers. After a few hours the moon raised high into the sky and everyone began to feel the exhaustion of the day wash over them.

"I'll take first watch," Riku spoke up as Mordred let out a large yawn.

"Fine by me," Mordred commented as he already turned over and got ready to sleep.

"I'll take the next watch," Bedivere told them as he leaned back against a tree trunk. "Alert me if you see or hear anything suspicious."

"Will do," Riku replied with a nod.

He watched the flickering flames of the fire as the others fell asleep. Hinata still had her head leaned against his shoulder, fast asleep as she softly snored. Riku leaned his cheek against her head and ran his hand up and down her arm. He looked up at the sky, seeing the multitude of stars as far as he could see.

"There's so many…" Hinata's quiet sleepy voice caught his attention.

He glanced down, seeing Hinata looking up at the sky with him. Giving her a small smile he softly replied, "I know. It seems to be more than the island."

She was silent for a few seconds as she stared up at the stars. "I think you're right… I wonder what they are?"

"Stars?" he asked, getting a sleepy nod in response. "Well, you know the whole theory we learned back in science class about them basically just being burning balls of gas, mostly hydrogen and helium."

"I forgot you were such a nerd…" she quietly teased.

He rolled his eyes with a soft laugh, "Yeah, whatever. But there's this other theory I like better."

"What's that?" She asked him.

"That each of the stars are actually a different world and what we see is the world's light shining bright enough for us to see," he explained.

"Hmm…" Hinata smiled as she thought about it for a moment. "I like that theory, too. That's a lot of worlds."

Riku chuckled softly, "Yeah, it sure is."

"Do you think we'll ever get to see them all?"

"Maybe someday." He guessed, "We've already seen three of them, only a few hundred thousand more to go."

"Only," Hinata repeated with a quiet laugh before asking, "Where did you hear that theory from?"

Riku thought about it for a moment before admitting, "I don't know. I just… know it."

"Just like that story about the guy leaving the island," she recalled as she nuzzled into him to get more comfortable.

"Yeah," he agreed while letting out a breath. "Who knows, maybe I made all of it up."

"I don't think you did," she replied while letting out a yawn. "I'm going to go back to sleep now."

He smiled, "Alright, I'll let you know when it's your turn to take watch."

She slowly nodded as she already drifted off to sleep. Riku stared up at the sky, the multitude of stars that shined their light above. The moon was a thin crescent but glowed a brilliant blue, different than the yellow moon Riku remembered from the island. He focused on a star barely to the left of the moon; it shimmered and almost seemed to sparkle as he gazed at it. Then suddenly it began to flicker as if it were going out. Riku knitted his eyebrows together in confusion as he watched its light dim with every flicker until suddenly it fizzed out of existence completely, its light no longer joining the sky.

"The stars have been going out," Bedivere's voice caught Riku's attention.

He looked over to see Bedivere staring up at the sky along with him. "They have?" he asked.

Bedivere nodded, "I see at least one or two go out a night. I'm not sure how or why… but every time it happens I feel a bit sad. If they really are worlds as you suggested, I do wonder what that means for the world when its light goes out."

Riku gazed at Bedivere before down casting his eyes towards the campfire. "Maybe that means the world was destroyed."

"Or perhaps it was engulfed completely by darkness and snuffed the light out," Bedivere added, making Riku look back up at him. "Darkness has its place in our hearts and in the world around us, but an overabundance of either light or darkness is never a good thing. A balance has to be struck between them."

"Twilight," Riku replied. "A mix of both light and darkness."

Bedivere nodded, "Indeed. However, I fear that most people pick either or. Both sides can make you powerful, yet being overwhelmed by either of them can lose your sense of self."

Riku thought about it for a moment before pointing out, "You seem to know a lot about it."

"Beyond my work as a Bounty Hunter and tracking, I value myself a scholar of sorts." he explained. "There are many theories surrounding the essence of light and darkness, and I have studied them thoroughly."

Riku nodded but didn't say anything in reply. Instead he looked back up at the stars, silently getting lost in thought.

"It may not be my place to say," Bedivere spoke again, "but be wary of where your heart strays." He noticed Riku looked back at him as he continued. "The power of darkness can be overwhelming and tempting; however, it has the tendency to drive those we care about away from us." He motioned his head towards Hinata. "There is not much else in this life that is worth more than having someone that cares for us. Be mindful of that as you continue down your path, wherever it may lead you."

Riku glanced down at Hinata but didn't reply.

"That is all I will say on the matter," Bedivere assured him. "It is your path to walk, not mine."

"Thanks," was all Riku managed to say in response before the top of his tunic began to vibrate.

He quickly slammed his hand over the communications device hidden under his scarf and darted his eyes over to Bedivere to make sure he hadn't noticed. The device continued to vibrate as Riku slowly and carefully moved Hinata from him so he could get up.

When he was standing, he pointed behind him and quickly spoke, "I'll be right back."

"I'll keep watch," Bedivere assured him, watching as Riku turned and ran into the forest.

Once he was a safe distance away, Riku glanced around him as he pulled out the communications device from underneath his scarf. Taking a deep breath he pressed the front button and watched as the tiny screen flickered to show Maleficent's face staring back at him.

"I apologize if I woke you," she spoke to him once the connection was made.

Riku frowned and let out a breath, "What do you want?"

"I assume you have finished your mission, yet I have yet to be alerted of your return to the gummi ship," she told him.

"We're just staying the night here to make sure we don't raise any suspicion about leaving suddenly," he explained. "We'll leave as soon as the sun comes up."

"These missions I send you on are not to be mistaken as vacations," she replied curtly. "You can very easily beam both you and that girl up to your ship without anyone noticing."

"Look we'll be on the ship in a few hours," he assured her, "Then we'll-"

"You must go back to your ship as soon as possible," she interjected. "I have a lead on Sora's location."

Riku's eyes widened as he exclaimed louder than he should have, "You do? Where?"

"Further details will not be revealed until you return to the gummi ship," she told him before abruptly cutting the call.

Riku stared at the blank screen after the call was cut; his heart was racing with excitement. "She found Sora." He let out a breathy laugh as he turned around and ran back to camp. He excitedly pushed through the brush and entered the camp, instantly getting Bedivere's attention. Slowing his run to a stop, he informed him, "Something came up, Hinata and I need to go."

Bedivere stared at him for a moment before nodding, "Very well." He stood up and reached his right hand down the front of his tunic, pulling out a long golden chain with a shining emblem as the pendant. It was an oval shape encased with a tinted green glass. Inside was a bright light that almost appeared to be alive as it shimmered. "I want you to have this." He held out the necklace to Riku.

Hesitantly holding out his hand, Riku took the necklace and stared at the pendant with intrigue. "Uh, thanks."

"If you ever run into trouble, use this and I will be there," Bedivere explained to him.

"Really?" he asked, looking up from the pendant to him.

"Think of it as a magic teleportation spell of sorts," Bedivere attempted to explain.

Riku nodded and smirked, "Well thanks, for uh, everything."

"It was my pleasure," he placed his right hand over his chest and slightly bowed. "Take care of Lady Hinata."

"I will."

"What's all this racket going on?" Mordred groaned, turning over and glaring at the others.

"Riku and Lady Hinata are departing," Bedivere informed him.

"Leaving?" he asked, sitting up. "Are you crazy? It's the middle of the night!"

"We have our reasons," Riku assured him before kneeling down to Hinata and lightly shaking her shoulder.

She grumbled and slowly opened her eyes, "Is it my turn to watch?"

"No, we have to get going," Riku told her. "I'll explain later."

Hinata sat up and rubbed her eyes while letting out a large yawn. "Alright, whatever you say." She pushed herself to stand, letting Riku support her as she stood on her wobbling feet before regaining her balance.

"I guess this is goodbye," Riku glanced at Bedivere and Mordred, giving them a small smile before turning to leave.

"Hey Riku," Mordred called after him, making him look back with surprise. "Be careful, alright?"

"You too," he replied. "Don't get into trouble."

"No promises," Mordred jested before lying back down.

"And Riku," Bedivere spoke up, "I do hope you find Sora."

Riku's eyes widened and Hinata looked between him and Bedivere. "Sora? How do you know who that is?"

Bedivere simply smirked and waved them goodbye before turning away. Riku smiled back and turned back around so they could walk further into the brush. Hinata gradually regained full consciousness as she followed Riku through the forest.

Eventually she spoke up, "How did Bedivere know about Sora? Did you tell him?"

"No," Riku admitted as he slowed to a stop and pulled out the communication device. "He must have overheard me when Maleficent called."

"She called you?" she asked.

"Yeah, she has a lead on Sora and wants us to investigate it as soon as possible," he explained.

"Then let's go!" Hinata exclaimed, making Riku chuckle as he pressed one of the side buttons on the device, instantly beaming them up to the ship. "Do you think she actually found him?" she asked once they were in the cockpit of the ship. She sat down in one of the chairs and swiveled back and forth.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I hope so. We've held up our end of the deal; now it's time to see if she follows through."

He bent down in front of the large navigation screen and began pressing various buttons, changing the navigation map to a blank blue screen. Pressing a button on the control board, the blue screen began to ripple in color as if it were loading. Once that was done, Hinata watched as Riku stepped to the control board and meticulously worked it. His eyes were focused as he pulled different switches and pressed different symbols she hadn't the slightest idea meant. Within a few seconds the ship's engines went into full blast and the entire vessel turned around before jumping to hyper speed.

"What did you just do?" she asked him.

"I sent the ship to leave the solar system," he explained. "And once this call connects to Maleficent I'll get the exact world coordinates from her and I can send the ship there."

Hinata nodded and commented, "You really did learn how to properly work the ship."

He smirked, replying, "I told you." He looked back at the navigation console screen. It was still rippling and loading. Letting out a sigh he said, "It's still trying to connect. It might take a while."

He looked over to Hinata, noticing she was back in the pajamas she had been wearing before they landed on Prydain. He glanced down at his own clothes, seeing he was back in his original outfit as well.

"I'd like to go back to Prydain someday." Hinata brought Riku out of his thoughts.

He turned towards her and saw her gazing out the windshield at the streaks of stars around them. "Me, too," he agreed. "It was a pretty cool place." He walked over to her and held out his hands to her; she happily took them and allowed him to pull her up to her feet. "Once we find Sora and Kairi, maybe we can all come back here and explore it together."

"I'd love that," she chimed. "Could you imagine how Kairi would react to the Fair Folk?" She laughed, "She loves fairies so I bet she'd love them."

"She likes fairies?" he asked, almost laughing.

"Yeah, you didn't know that?" she asked him.

He shrugged, "I guess I didn't really have any reason to know." He thought about it for a moment, "But why fairies?"

Hinata giggled, "Who knows, because they're small and have wings? I don't know." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "All I know is that I've wanted to hug you since we got reunited."

Riku smiled as he tightly hugged her back, loving the way she felt in his arms. "I have, too."

They stood there in each other's embrace for several seconds, just taking each other in. Hinata slightly pulled back to see his face and he smiled warmly at her. Raising one of his hands, he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers, making her blush.

"You're really beautiful," he told her, causing her cheeks to flush a deeper rose.

"Oh please," she looked away embarrassed, making him chuckle softly.

"I'm serious," he told her as he leaned forward, kissing her temple. "That kiss on Prydain earlier was pretty incredible," he recalled.

She nervously laughed, "Yeah it was-almost made me drop all the food."

He laughed, "Well you aren't holding any food now."

She looked up at him, her entire face covered with blush. "You've seriously gotten a lot more confident with this stuff."

He shrugged, "I told you, after everything we're going through... Talking about how I feel about you seems easy." He leaned down, meeting their lips together for a short kiss. "I hope that's alright."

"O-of course!" she squeaked. "It just surprises me is all."

He chuckled, "Well, you'll get used to it." He pulled her in for a more passionate kiss, feeling her melt in his arms.

Maleficent cleared her throat, "I do hope I'm not interrupting something."

Hinata gasped and instantly broke the kiss, realizing the call to Maleficent finally made connection. Riku closed his eyes in frustration and deeply sighed as he pulled back his hands from Hinata, allowing her to scurry to the next room in a fit of embarrassment.

"You needn't seem flustered," Maleficent spoke up to Riku once Hinata was out of the room.

Riku pressed a large button beside the entrance to the cockpit, sliding the door closed before turning to face the Navigation screen where Maleficent's face appeared on the screen with a devilish smirk on her pale green face.

"Whatever," he quickly spoke, trying to shake off his own embarrassment. "What do you know about Sora?"

"To the best of my knowledge he is going to a world known as Traverse Town," she informed him, getting straight to business. "And you should know that he is travelling with two companions that he is rather close with. Almost as close as he is with you."

He rolled his eyes, "How could you know that?"

"I have my methods," she told him. "I am only advising you so that you can best prepare yourself when you encounter him and his friends."

"I can take care of myself," he replied tersely.

"Indeed, but just to be sure I will also be in Traverse Town to watch over the events," she told him.

"What, scared we'll take Sora and run?" he asked.

"Unlikely," she almost laughed at the notion. "But you will be arriving in Traverse Town in five hours' time. I suggest you get some rest." With that, she cut the call.

Riku shook his head, and muttered, "She always has to have the last word."

Turning around he left the cockpit and entered the main living area. He heard the shower running and assumed that was where Hinata was. He walked over to the bed, suddenly feeling a bout of exhaustion waving over him. He let out a long yawn as he sat down on the edge of the comforter and leaned his elbows on his legs before planting his face in his hands. His mind raced with thoughts of everything that had happened that day and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.

"Ouch!" Hinata's voice startled him awake.

He shot his head up and saw Hinata sitting in the bed across from him wearing a purple sports bra and black shorts with her damp hair braided down her back. In front of her was an open first aid kit sprawled across the comforter. She held an antibacterial rub in her hand as she attempted to rub it over the cuts that were along her arms and torso.

"Do you need some help?" he asked, getting her attention.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she told him. "This was just more painful than I expected."

Riku pushed himself to stand and climbed onto the bed beside Hinata. He took the antibacterial rub from her and squeezed a bit onto his palm, wincing as it reacted with the few scrapes already on his hands. "It can hurt more if you're doing it to yourself," he explained as he gently rubbed along a cut on her left shoulder, noticing her wince from the sting. "How did this happen anyways?"

"Oh, it was when I was helping Taran and the others escape the castle," she recalled. "When we got out to the castle gates, there were literally hordes of guards after us and I was the only one that knew how to fight." She let out a sigh and expounded. "I tried holding off as many of them as I could but a few of them managed to throw spears that got a good cut out of me."

"Ouch," he commented, making her laugh.

"Yeah, well it really isn't that bad." She glanced over at him and he squeezed more of the antibacterial rub into his palm. "You're probably going to need some too."

"Probably," he looked down at the already half-way used container. "If there's any left for me."

"We'll only use it on the big cuts on me," she suggested. "Then I'll put the rest on you."

He slightly smiled, "Alright. We got pretty beat up on this mission."

"Nothing we can't handle," she said with a bit of pride laced into her voice. She was quiet for a couple minutes as he continued to apply the rub to various cuts along her skin. Eventually she spoke up again. "I've been wanting to ask, by the way. What were you distracted by in the catacombs?"

Riku paused and looked up at her. "Oh, you noticed that?"

She laughed, "I was literally trying to talk to you and you had no idea I was even there."

"Seriously?" he asked with a bit of disbelief. When he saw her nod in response he let out a breath and paused for a moment as he thought it over. "I found something," he confessed after several seconds.

"You did?" she asked, "What was it?"

Riku put down the antibacterial rub and held out his hand. He looked at her and told her, "Don't freak out, alright?"

She gave him a look but nodded in understanding.

Closing his eyes he opened his hand and felt the familiar burst of energy. He could hear Hinata's gasp before he opened his eyes again. She looked wide-eyed at the blade in his hand and backed up a bit in the bed to create some distance.

She swallowed hard and stammered, "Y-you found that in the catacombs?"

"Yeah," he held the blade in front of him and ran his other hand along it. "It's called Soul Eater and I can summon it whenever I want."

Hinata slowly nodded before abruptly getting up from the bed and walking to the other end of the room. Riku dissipated Soul Eater and watched her with concern written all over his face. She paced back and forth, fidgeting with her braided hair.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" he asked her. "You said you wouldn't freak out."

"I-I'm not," She mumbled her words, "It's just… I've seen that blade before."

"You have?" he asked. "When?"

"It's not important…" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does," he stood up and grabbed her shoulders to make her stop pacing. "Hinata, what's going on?"

She averted her gaze from his and licked her lips from nerves. "I…" she began to say.

"Hinata, talk to me, where have you seen Soul Eater before?" he asked her.

"In a vision Hen Wen showed me!" she blurted out all at once.

"What?" he asked while loosening his hold on her shoulders. "When did that happen?"

"When I was bringing Hen Wen back to the farm…" she began to confess. "I had another dream about my past and I was hoping that maybe… " Her voice trailed off and she choked on some tears in her voice. Taking a deep breath she tried again. "That maybe she could show me something from my past, but that's not what ended up happening."

"What did happen?" he asked.

"I'm not sure honestly…" she shook her head and admitted, "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Hinata, I know, but if it had Soul Eater in it, it might be important," he tried to convince her while using his thumb to wipe away a stray tear falling down her cheek.

She thought about it for a moment, trying to regain her composure. "I think… it was supposed to be the future," she began to explain.

"The future?" he repeated, beginning to feel uneasy.

She nodded, "Yes, and you were in it."

"What happened?" he slowly asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"You were standing in a hall back in Hollow Bastion and you had Soul Eater in your hand," she began to recall, her voice shaking. "I called out your name and you slowly turned around, but as you did you... changed."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"This weird mist surrounded you and when it disappeared you were a different person, but… at the same time it still felt like you." She shook her head, "And I knew that it wasn't really you, but whoever it was felt eerily familiar. Anyways, I mentioned that in the vision and suddenly you, or whoever that person was, summoned this crazy mass of darkness in the palm of their hand and shot it straight towards me."

"What happened after that?" he asked.

She shook her head and laughed bitterly, "I got scared and shattered the vision. I was too afraid to figure out what would happen next." She let out a breath, "I kept trying to convince myself that it was a mistake or that it wasn't real… but it felt real. I could feel you looking right at me and I could even feel the energy from whatever that dark mass was. I can't get it out of my head." She wiped away another stray tear and softly cried, "I sorry I didn't tell you sooner… I was scared."

Riku immediately pulled her into an embrace, allowing her to cry in his chest, "You know I would never hurt you, right?"

She sniffled and she nodded. "Of course I do…" Her voice was muffled against his chest. "That's what made it so awful…"

He pulled away just enough so he could see her tear stained face. "I'm never going to let that happen. I promise," he assured her. "Just because you saw it doesn't mean it has to happen."

She quickly nodded, wiping away some more tears. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be, seriously," he told her. "I would be pretty shaken up by it, too." When she only nodded in response, he added, "Look, we're both really exhausted. Let's just get some rest. We can talk more about everything once we're more awake."

"Yeah," she agreed, still having the strain of tears in her voice.

"You go ahead and lay down," he told her. "I'm going to take a quick shower, then I'll join you."

"What about the…" She pointed to the antibacterial rub.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "The shower will help and I can put it on later."

She nodded as he pulled back from her. She numbly walked over to the bed and went under the covers, instantly getting cozy. Riku slightly smiled at her before leaving to take a shower. Within the next twenty minutes, he reemerged from the steaming shower. He towel-dried his hair and looked into the bathroom mirror. He only wore a pair of navy-blue cotton pants, leaving his torso bare. As he stared into the mirror, he saw all the cuts and wounds across his skin. Right across his chest was a thin slice that went from his shoulder to the bottom of his ribcage. Despite being relatively thin, the cut was raw and feverishly pink. A frown appeared on Riku's face as he stared at it.

"I guess I got hurt more than I thought," he spoke aloud to himself as he tossed the damp towel in a nearby hamper and grabbed a white tank-top.

He pulled the shirt on over his head as he exited the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Hinata still lay fast asleep in the bed, completely snuggled up under the comforter. Riku smiled at her as he pulled back the blanket and scooted in beside her before pulling the blanket over the both of them. Hinata was awake just enough to know he was there and immediately snuggled into him, putting her head on his chest and wrapping her arm around his waist. Riku winced as she unintentionally irritated his cut, but also flushed as she nuzzled into him. He wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her closer, the sweet scent of her hair teased his senses and he absently ran his hand through it as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The familiar salty-tinged air and the sound of waves hitting the sand mixed with the call of seagulls made him open his eyes and he was surprised to find himself on the beach of the island. He stood at the shore overlooking the shimmering horizon where the sun met the water.

He gazed out at the water with confusion. "The island?" he asked. "What am I doing back here?"

"Come on Sora!" a young boy's voice caught his attention.

He looked over to see a much younger version of himself running along the beach with a similarly sized Sora trailing not far behind. Riku stepped back and allowed the two boys to run past him. His younger self was barely five years old, his face was much more rounded and plump than Riku's was now. His large almond shaped eyes were wide with excitement and wonder as he laughed along with Sora. Sora was only four, his hair was styled almost identical to the way it was going to be ten years from then. He giggled as he ran after his best friend, not even noticing a much older Riku watching them from a distance.

Riku watched as they ran to the paopu tree and climbed onto the trunk. With a small smile he followed them and as he approached he could hear them talking.

"Riku?" Sora asked with a sweet small voice as he sat beside younger Riku on the paopu's trunk.

"Hmm?" young Riku replied with a soft voice.

"You know you're my best friend, right?" Sora asked, looking over at him with large innocent eyes.

Young Riku scoffed and ruffled Sora's hair, making him giggle. "Of course I do, silly. You tell me almost every day!"

"And I'm your best friend too, right?" Sora asked.

Young Riku glanced over at his friend and silently nodded, getting a beaming smile from Sora in return.

"Oh good!" Sora chimed.

"When we get older we should go adventuring," young Riku told him while swinging his legs back and forth on the trunk of the tree. "Cause that's what best friends do."

"Yep!" Sora agreed as he jumped up and pretended to be holding a sword. "Maybe we'll meet pirates! Ahoy matey!"

Young Riku laughed, "That's not how pirates talk, Sora!"

"What? Is too!" Sora objected while placing his tiny hands on his hips.

"No it's not!" young Riku argued back, still laughing.

"Well then how are pirates supposed to talk?" Sora asked while plopping back down on the trunk of the tree.

Young Riku thought about it for a moment before saying, "They have deep voices and hooks for hands, and they say, 'Argh!'"

Sora suddenly began to laugh so hard he almost fell off the tree trunk. "You can't talk like a pirate either, Riku!"

Riku crossed his arms as he watched the scene and chuckled to himself. He looked down as he came back to his thoughts. "Why am I seeing this?" he asked as he turned around and began scanning the area for anything interesting. "There has to be a reason I'm here."

Suddenly he noticed Sora running past him and quickly stepped out of the way. He glanced behind him and saw his younger self slowly walking after Sora. Riku smirked and hopped down from the wooden bridge he stood on and landed on the sandy beach. He began to walk towards the water until he spotted a familiar figure standing on the shore, staring out at the horizon.

Riku abruptly stopped walking and stared at the figure. Even though he was right in front of him, his details were hard to make out. He was older than Riku was now, perhaps in his late teens or even possibly his twenties. His clothes were hard to make out, spare for a strange piece of armor on his shoulder that connected all the way down his arm to his hand.

"Who is that guy?" Riku asked as he once again stepped forward to get a better look at him.

"Did you come from the outside world?" his younger self spoke up, catching his attention.

He looked over to see his five year old self calling out to the stranger. "Wait…" Riku recalled. "I think I remember this."

The stranger turned around to face young Riku. "Huh? Why would you say that?" As he spoke, various details of his appearance became clearer. His blue eyes were narrow yet kind, and seemed to suit his strong face.

"Because nobody lives out here," young Riku replied, "And I know you're not from the main island."

"Smart kid," the stranger smirked. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, my friend's dad took us out on the boat." young Riku shrugged, "This is where we like to play, but they won't let us row out here by ourselves, not till we get older."

"Must be hard, huh, stuck in one place," the stranger remarked.

Young Riku walked up to the shore line and told him, "I heard once there was a kid who left for good."

"Is there some reason you're interested in the outside world?" the stranger asked.

Young Riku nodded, "Mm-hmm, I wanna be strong one day; like that kid who left. He went to the outside world. I bet he's really strong now. I know it's out there somewhere, the strength that I need."

"The strength for what?" the stranger asked.

"To protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends," young Riku smiled over at the stranger.

"Outside this tiny world is a much bigger one," the stranger told him as he walked over to younger Riku and held out his hand. In his palm a bright white light flashed and when it disappeared a large weapon was in its place. The hilt had two blue metal guards along the sides that curved to meet into a long golden blade that etched out into the shape of a key along the end.

"I know that weapon," Riku stepped forward in near disbelief. He watched as the stranger knelt down in front of his younger self, already knowing what was going to happen. Not sure where the words were coming from, he recited in unison with the stranger, "In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking... its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend; no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

Then he watched as his younger self reluctantly reached forward and grabbed the handle of the blade, completing the ritual.

"The Keyblade…" Riku recalled. "But why am I just now remembering this?"

"Because you were meant to wield the Keyblade," the stranger's voice appeared behind Riku, causing him to turn around. The stranger was walking towards him, his once kind blue eyes had been transformed into amber and his brown hair was a brilliant white. "No one else is given the divine right to be chosen by the Keyblade. And rather than wait for your proper time you wasted your potential and chased after this fake blade," he held out his hand and summoned Soul Eater, much to Riku's surprise.

The blade transformed to a charred black before crumbling in the man's hand.

"You deserve the Keyblade," the man spoke again, stepping towards Riku.

Riku stumbled backwards. "This was the only time I've ever seen one of those blades," he told him. "How am I supposed to get the Keyblade if I don't know where to look?"

"It is already too late," the man shook his head.

"What do you mean it's too late?" Riku asked.

"You will see when you are reunited with a friend," the man replied, disappearing into a black portal.

"Hey wait!" Riku yelled as he ran forward, but the man was already gone. Letting out a breath he turned back around but realized he was once again alone on the island.

He walked around the small island, trying to find something to do or discover but he was the only one there. It seemed like hours passed as Riku aimlessly wandered the same area he had known for years. Coming around to the paopu tree for the seventh time he finally slowed to a stop and stared out at the horizon.

"It's like I'm trapped here," he said. "Again…"

"Riku…" Hinata's voice echoed around him.

He spun around and called, "Hinata?"

"Riku…!" Hinata's voice echoed again, this time shaking the island around him as things gradually began to blur and disintegrate.

Riku watched as everything began to fade to black before he shot his eyes open, realizing he was back on the gummi ship. He abruptly sat up, causing Hinata to do the same and she tightly held his hand.

"You were mumbling in your sleep and wouldn't wake up," Hinata informed him. "Are you alright?"

He rubbed his free hand over his face and nodded, "Yeah, sorry… just had a strange dream."

"It's alright," she sweetly smiled at him. "I've been getting those a lot lately."

"Yeah…" he softly replied before turning towards her and giving her a sudden kiss.

Her cheeks flushed as he pulled away. "What was that for?" she asked with a quiet voice.

"For helping me wake up," he told her before moving to get out of the bed. He stretched his stiff muscles, cringing as the cut along his chest twinged with pain. "We should be getting to Traverse Town pretty soon, huh?"

"Traverse Town?" Hinata repeated the name as she also got up from the bed. "Is that where Maleficent told you we were going?"

He turned to face her. "Yeah, she said Sora's supposed to be there."

Hinata's face lit up, "Well then it's a good thing I was able to wake you up, because we're here."

Riku turned and ran to the cockpit. As he entered he looked out the windshield and saw the planet below. He smiled back at Hinata and told her, "Let's get ready to go down there then."

Hinata pulled on a green tank top and jogged up to him. "We have a friend to find," she said with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. And once again a huge shoutout to my editor, Leni (Jackayy). She's really been encouraging me to keep writing and does a fantastic job editing. Anyways, have a great week! And let me know what you think of the chapter! ***


	20. Traverse Town

Chapter 20

"This place is definitely interesting," Hinata commented to Riku as she looked around their new surroundings.

They stood in a large, bricked courtyard that was lined with various shops with bright, neon-lighted signs. Two tall lamp posts were in the center of the yard, their golden light casting a soft glow as various people walked from shop to shop, not paying any mind to Riku or Hinata.

"Yeah," Riku agreed as he reached forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the way of a group walking by. "Definitely more normal looking than any of the places we've been recently."

"It's almost off-putting," Hinata looked over at him and chuckled as she placed her hand over his. "Actually seeing technology on a world for once."

He smiled back at her before scanning the area. "I know you aren't going to like this, but I think we should split up."

Hinata's nose slightly wrinkled. "What? Why?"

He snickered at her expression before explaining, "Because we have no idea where Sora could be. If we split up we'll have a better chance of running into him." He glanced down at Hinata, noticing her frown. "Do you really want to risk not finding him at all because you insist on not leaving my side?"

"Well no," she confessed while looking towards a wide staircase across from them that led up to an accessory shop. "I'm just not completely over everything that happened to you in Prydain and I don't want to risk it happening again."

"Well you can rest assured that it won't," he told her with a smirk. "I don't see one armored guard in sight."

"Obviously the same exact thing won't happen," she rolled her eyes, giving him a nudge with her shoulder. "Just… be careful."

"Me be careful?" he repeated with an almost disbelieving look.

"Yes, you," she crossed her arms. "You have no idea how worried I was when I found you all cut up and unconscious back on Prydain."

His smirk disappeared as his expression fell. Letting out a breath he admitted, "Yeah, I know. But you don't have to worry. I won't get into that type of situation again." He reached over for her hand, making her uncross her arms so he could grab it. Giving it a small squeeze, he told her, "I promise."

Hinata's frown slowly transformed into a small smile. Inhaling deeply, she spoke up, "Alright then. Which way do you need me to go?"

He smiled at her before pointing towards the staircase. "You go that way, past the accessory shop, and I'll head through those doors," he pointed to the right of the stairs towards two towering wooden doors with rounded tops.

"Alright," she nodded, giving his hand a squeeze. "You have your communication thing?"

He reached down to his belt loop and clipped off the device to show it to her. She half-smiled and wrapped her hand around her device clipped to her shirt. Riku examined her worried expression as he put his device back on his belt loop.

"I'll see you later then," she told him as she turned to leave.

"Wait a sec," Riku pulled on her hand, sending her stumbling backwards towards him. Spinning her around to face him, he placed his other hand along her waist and met her lips with his for an unexpected kiss.

When he pulled away he could feel the looks of passerbyers but he only focused on Hinata, without a care. She looked back at him with flushed cheeks and a genuine smile.

"You be careful too, alright?" he told her, giving her a small kiss on the tip of her nose before releasing her.

"Of course," she replied with a wink before turning and once again walking away, her hand sliding out of his as she moved out of his reach.

Riku watched her as she wandered off with an almost goofy smile on his face. After a few seconds he turned away and was about to head towards the double doors, before he noticed Maleficent walking towards him. His smile instantly vanished, being replaced with a stern expression as his muscles tensed. "What do you want?" he spoke curtly as she approached.

"My, my, such a temper," Maleficent commented as she walked towards him, "One should think twice about disrespecting the one person helping them on their quest."

"Yeah, well I don't see Sora anywhere yet, so your so-called help is still in question," Riku bit back.

Maleficent waved her hand dismissively in the air before replying, "I just came to warn you that Heartless are roaming freely through this town so it would be best to be prepared."

Riku glanced up at her and repeated, "Heartless?"

"Yes, and I'm afraid these ones are outside of my control," she informed him.

"Why couldn't you have warned me when Hinata was with me?" he asked her with slight accusation in his voice.

"You seemed rather busy with her, so I kept my distance," she replied. "Besides, didn't you say she could take care of herself?"

Riku shook his head and turned towards the staircase. "She won't know they aren't with you," he told her with frustration. "I'm going to go check on her." He broke into a run, leaving Maleficent behind.

"There is one more thing I wish to discuss," Maleficent called after him, making him slow to a momentary stop. "Sora's companions are indeed here with him. You should be cautious of them."

Riku scoffed, "Let me worry about that."

"As you wish," she replied, allowing him to continue running.

Without looking back, Riku jogged up the steps and went past the accessory shop. He reached a long alleyway that led to another large door with a sign beside it that read, 'District 2.' Riku scanned the area for Hinata before pushing open the door to enter the next District. He found himself in another large courtyard that was at two different levels. Tall buildings and shops surrounded the area, their windows and signs were brightly lit with neon lights. Riku stood on the second level overlooking a larger shopping area below. Unlike the main District they had arrived in, there wasn't a person in sight.

"Hinata?" Riku called out. "Are you here?"

"Riku?" Hinata's voice called back. "I'm- ah!" She jumped back from around the corner on the lower level, dodging an oncoming attack from a Shadow Heartless.

Riku immediately summoned Soul Eater and sprinted forward, vaulting over the stone railing and landing down on the lower level. He ran to be beside Hinata, slicing through a Heartless and making it vaporize instantly in a cloud of black smoke. Hinata rolled out of the way of an oncoming attack and stabbed a Shadow right between its glowing eyes making it disintegrate around her blade.

"I take it these guys aren't with Maleficent?" Hinata asked him while taking out another Heartless. "Or is she trying to tell us something?"

"She doesn't control these ones," he informed her as he jumped back to avoid an attack before taking the enemy out. "She told me after you left."

"I had a feeling," Hinata made the last Shadow disappear before resheathing her blades and placing her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you just call me?"

He stood back up straight and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "I, uh, wanted to make sure you were alright. So I thought I'd check on you myself."

She smirked from his words and told him, "Sometimes I think you forget I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," he defended. "I just wanted to make sure you had support."

"Well those shadow creatures weren't too tough," she shrugged with a small laugh. "I barely scratched them with my blade and they disappeared." She looked over at him with a sweet smile. "But, thank you."

He smiled back at her and opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when they were suddenly surrounded by a new wave of Heartless. They appeared more advanced than the Shadow Heartless they had fought moments before. Thick blue skin covered their childlike bodies with a red outlined heart symbol on their chests. They glared out at Riku and Hinata with glowing yellow eyes through clunky metal helmets that covered most of their head. Their sharp red claws scraped against the ground as they hopped from foot to foot. Hinata and Riku leaned back to back as they examined their new enemies.

"These guys are different," she commented as she brought out her blades.

"We'll take them together," he told her, readying Soul Eater.

The Soldier in front of him shook before stumbling towards Riku, slashing its claws in front of it in a frenzy. He easily blocked its attack and kicked it back before stabbing Soul Eater into its chest, making it instantly explode in a black smoke, leaving behind small light green orbs that immediately melded into Riku, giving him a sudden rush of adrenaline.

Hinata jumped forward, slamming a Soldier to the ground with her foot before stabbing her blade in between its eyes. As it disintegrated she blocked an oncoming attack with one of her blades while stabbing the other into another enemy's chest. With every enemy they destroyed, more green orbs soaked into them, recovering any lost stamina and replacing it with pure adrenaline.

Once the last Heartless dissipated, Hinata sheathed her blades with a grin on her face. "Whew! That was oddly amazing," she laughed while stretching her arms. "I feel like I could take on anything!"

"Yeah," Riku chuckled in response while making Soul Eater disappear. "I wonder what those green orbs were…?"

He turned around to face Hinata and gasped as she lightly grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a sudden kiss. His cheeks darkened considerably as he kissed her back and placed his hands along the sides of her waist.

Hinata let out a small giggle once she broke the kiss and let go of his shirt, "That wasn't that hard at all! You were right."

"I-I was?" he stammered, still taken aback.

"That kissing doesn't seem that scary anymore?" she reminded him excitedly. Turning around she began walking away and sent him a small wave, "Anywho, we should get back to searching for Sora."

"Y-yeah," he cleared his throat and began to turn around before calling after her, "Try to avoid those green orb things, alright?"

"Why?" she asked, turning towards him while walking backwards. "I've never felt this energetic before; it's great!"

He smiled at her while shaking his head and turning around, his cheeks still warmed from the unexpected kiss. He climbed up to the second level before heading through the door to go back to the First District. As before, it was bustling with people, completely unaware of the multitude of Heartless in the other Districts. Riku weaved through the crowds and made his way to the main courtyard and the large double doors that led to the Third District.

He pushed them open and found himself in yet another courtyard, yet this one didn't have as many of shops as the others. A gorgeous golden fountain was in the far corner, giving off a warm light to the area. On the other side of the District was a set of stairs leading to a second level that went into the Second District and beside that was a dark alleyway that led to a bright red door with a flame insignia on it.

Riku walked forward, scanning the area. He wasn't able to explore for more than a couple minutes before a sudden wave of various Heartless ambushed him. Without hesitation he summoned Soul Eater, jumping out of the way of an attack from a Soldier Heartless. He swiftly took them out one by one, slicing through their armor and attacks while collecting the tiny green orbs as well as little gems of munny and clear orbs that melded into his skin upon impact.

Once the last one was defeated he watched as the green and clear orbs sucked into him and then looked at his hand in confusion. "What are those things?" he asked.

His question was left unanswered as a new wave of Soldier Heartless appeared in front of him. With a smirk he ran forward and began cutting them down. Two of them began scurrying away towards the alleyway and Riku sprinted after them. Right as they reached the alley he side swiped his blade, slicing them in half and disintegrating them upon impact.

The moment he stood back up straight from the attack his eyes widened. Right in the alleyway stood Sora holding a strange weapon and standing in front of him were two figures: an odd white duck wearing a blue waistcoat and a tall dog-like creature with floppy ears that stood on two legs holding a large round shield, concealing most of its body. Riku immediately grinned when he saw Sora, letting out a breath of relief. Sora stared back at him completely stunned with his mouth slack-jawed.

"There you are!" Riku spoke up excitedly. "What's going on?"

Sora stood up straight and held out the strange weapon in his hand, making it disappear in a flash of light. Riku glanced at it, but tried not to react much as Sora slowly approached him, still not saying anything.

"Riku!" Sora finally spoke as he placed his hands on the side of Riku's face and suddenly began pulling on his cheeks.

"Hey, hey!" Riku laughed with a bit of annoyance as he swatted Sora's hands away. "Cut it out!"

Sora gave Riku a once over. "I'm not dreaming this time, right?"

"I hope not," Riku chuckled while running his hand through his hair. "Took me forever to find you."

Sora beamed a toothy childlike grin and chimed, "Riku!"

Riku smirked as he turned around and began walking towards the main door that led back to the main courtyard. "Hinata will be happy to hear I found you."

"She's here with you?" Sora asked, jogging to meet Riku's pace. "Where is she?"

"We split up once we got here so we could find you faster," he told him. "Last I saw her she was in the Second District. I'll give her a call once we're in the main courtyard to let her know I found you."

"Wait a second," Sora abruptly stopped walking. "Where's Kairi?"

Riku paused his movements as his grin immediately disappeared. Reluctantly, he turned around and asked, "Isn't she with you?"

Sora's expression fell as he sadly downcasted his gaze.

Riku let out a breath as he also averted his gaze with a frown. Swallowing hard, he spoke up, "Well don't worry. I'm sure she made it off the island, too." He attempted to send Sora a reassuring smile. He looked up at the sky and added, "We finally made it off the island." He shrugged and turned around, "Hey, she might even be off looking for us right now." A frown tugged at the corner of his mouth as his heart sank. His mind suddenly flashed back to Kairi in the secret cave back on the island. Shaking the thought out of his head, he assured Sora, "We'll all be together again soon. Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this-"

A sudden sound of a weapon slashing through the air caught his attention and he spun around to see Sora slicing a Heartless with his strange weapon. Riku's eyes widened as he looked at the key-shaped blade in his best friend's hand. Its handle was golden with a thin silver chain hanging off the end of it with a shining charm shaped like a mouse's head. The blade itself was long and silver. It appeared to be blunt and seemingly harmless, but even just looking at it Riku could sense a powerful aura.

Sora swung the blade over his shoulder with a smug look on his face, "Leave it to who?"

"S-Sora," Riku found his voice and averted his eyes from the blade. "What did you-"

"I've been looking for you and Kairi, too," he interrupted Riku with excitement in his voice. Motioning behind him to his duck and dog companions, he added, "With their help."

Riku glanced behind Sora at the odd characters accompanying him. A knot began to form in his stomach as he asked, "Who are they?"

"Ahem," the white duck spoke up with a hard to understand voice, "My name is-"

Sora stepped forward and once again interrupted, "We've visited so many places and worlds, looking for you."

"Really?" Riku asked with an almost forced smirk. "Well what do you know? I never would have guessed."

The strange looking dog stepped forward and put two white gloved hands on Sora's shoulders before speaking up with a goofy voice, "Oh, and guess what? Sora's the Keyblade Master!"

Riku's eyes widened from his words as the knot in his stomach tightened considerably. He completely tuned out what the others were saying as he turned his attention to Sora's blade. Without thinking he reached forward and wrapped his hand around the handle, catching his breath when it easily slipped from Sora's grip into his. The moment it was in his grasp he felt a rush of power. He held it in front of him and smirked over at Sora, who hadn't even noticed the blade had left his reach.

"So, this is called a Keyblade?" Riku spoke up, getting their attention.

"Huh?" Sora looked away from an argument with his comrades and gasped when he saw Riku holding his blade. He did a double take between Riku and his own empty hand. Stammering nervously he exclaimed, "H-hey! Give it back!"

He reached forward to take it, but Riku jumped back just out of reach, making Sora topple over with a yelp.

Riku's smirk only grew as he saw Sora fall, but it slowly vanished as he went back to staring at the Keyblade. He held it above his head to look at it in the light, feeling an unfamiliar sense of jealousy festering in his gut. Shaking his head, he looked back down to Sora and told him, "Catch…" as he tossed the blade down the him. The moment it left his grasp he let out a breath as the power inside of him drained.

Sora caught the blade and scrambled to his feet before saying, "Okay, so you're coming with us, right? We've got this awesome rocket! Wait 'till you see it!"

"No!" the duck interrupted with his winged arms crossed. "He can't come!"

Riku scowled at the duck's words and tone as the dog watched the argument.

"What?!" Sora exclaimed as he leaned down to the duck's level with his hands on his hips.

"Forget it!" the duck shook his head defiantly.

"What's the point…?" Riku grumbled under his breath as he turned and walked away while they were distracted with their argument, not bothering to say goodbye. He went to an alleyway hidden behind one of the walls by the fountain, making sure he was out of view of Sora and his companions. He leaned back against the wall and peeked out to get a look at his friend.

"Riku!" Sora called out as he looked around with a frown evident on his face. "Nice going…" he muttered to his friends. "Oh well, at least he's okay. And who knows? Maybe we'll run into Kairi, too!"

"He doesn't even care…" Riku mumbled as he leaned back against the wall and slid to the ground to sit.

He sat there in silence for a couple minutes, letting his frustration and disappointment fester. Taking a deep breath, he reached to his belt loop and unclipped his communication device. Holding it out in front of him he pressed one of the side buttons and watched as the small screen flickered to life with static as it buzzed. Within a few seconds the static transformed to Hinata staring back at Riku with a warm smile on her face. She appeared to be in a large bright room with a random dalmatian with a light blue collar right beside her. Riku felt a small amount of relief seeing Hinata, but it was short lived as he remembered his reason for calling.

Hinata's smile slowly fell to a concerned frown as she asked, "Is everything alright?"

Riku inhaled deeply and tried to find his words. Glancing at the dalmation dog beside Hinata he avoided her question, "Where are you?"

She eyed him with uncertainty but answered his question, "I'm… at a mansion. I was told to check here for Sora, but all I've found are a couple of really depressed dalmatians."

Riku furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What?"

She opened her mouth to explain and let out a small laugh, "Well you see, I couldn't find Sora in any of the shops in the Second District so I went to this hotel and asked them if they'd seen him, and the receptionist there told me to check this place out. So… I'm here."

The slightest hint of a smile appeared on Riku's face as he let out a short chuckle. "I see. And exactly how long have you been there?"

"Enough to know I want these dogs," she admitted with a laugh while scratching one of the dalmatians behind the ears. "You think Maleficent would mind some pets?"

Riku's smile grew as he slowly began forgetting about everything going on. "I'm pretty sure the owners of those dogs would mind."

She shrugged, "Eh, details." They laughed together before she asked, "So, why did you call? Did you find something?"

Riku's smile fell to a hard to read expression almost instantaneously as he opened and closed his mouth a few times before admitting, "I... found Sora."

Hinata stared blankly at him for a moment before saying, "Maybe lead off with that next time."

He lightly scoffed as he looked away.

Hinata waited for him to say more but when he didn't she asked, "Did it not go well? Is he alright?"

"He's just fine," Riku told her with a bit of bitterness in his voice. "He's even got some new friends he's travelling around with."

"Oh, that's nice," Hinata half-smiled while giving him a confused look by his tense demeanor.

"Yeah except that he'd rather stay with them than come back with us," Riku replied while shaking his head with frustration. "He didn't even defend me when his so-called friends told him I wasn't allowed to come along with them. He just keeled over and shrugged it off."

"Would you want to travel with them?" Hinata asked.

"Well, no," he admitted looking back at her. "But he could have at least tried to stand up for me."

Hinata frowned as she looked him over, seeing his obvious frustration. Letting out a sigh she softly spoke, "Riku… I think you might have taken things the wrong way; he's your best friend. I mean, when we were planning on leaving the island on that raft, he dropped everything to make sure he could be there to help and come along with us. He wouldn't just suddenly drop your friendship after a couple weeks of being apart."

Riku scoffed as he looked away and bit, "What do you know? You weren't even there and you just assume I'm the one that took things the wrong way?" When Hinata didn't reply, he looked back at her and saw her eyes widened with obvious hurt and shock. Letting out a long breath, he stammered softly, "S-sorry…"

Hinata downcasted her eyes and shook her head, "I don't know what you want me to tell you Riku." She looked back up at him with a stern expression, "I'm sorry things didn't go like you expected with Sora but that doesn't really give you an excuse to take your frustration out on me."

"I know," he admitted while rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just… annoyed." Letting out a breath he told her, "Look, I was mostly just calling you to say that we should leave. Sora was an obvious bust and we still have to find Kairi."

"I want to talk to Sora myself before we go," she told him, noticing his frown only deepen in response. "I know it didn't go well for you, but he's my friend, too. I'd at least like to see for myself if he's alright."

"Fine," he sighed. "I'll meet you in the First District when you're done."

"Okay," she replied with a small smile. "Thank you."

"Yeah…" he shortly nodded.

"Will you be alright by yourself? You seem pretty shaken," she asked him with a soft voice.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "I just need to clear my head." He averted his gaze and added, "And… I'm sorry for lashing out at you."

Hinata sweetly smiled, "It's alright. There's a lot going on right now and we're both a little high-strung."

"Yeah…" he agreed.

"I'll see you later," she told him. "Stay safe."

"You, too," he looked up at her and half-smiled before he cut the call.

Hinata stared at the blank screen on her communication device after Riku hung up with a concerned frown. "I'm worried about him," she told the dalmatians beside her.

The dog with the blue collar whimpered and nuzzled her head against Hinata in comfort. Hinata slightly smiled as she rubbed her behind the ears.

"I should get going," she told both the dogs as she got up from her seat on a long blue couch.

She looked around the fancily furnished room and patted both the dogs on their heads before heading for the ornate front door. As she left the home, despite the dogs whimpering their complaints, she found herself back in the Second District. She let out a sigh as she pulled out her blades and began walking down through the main courtyard, fully expecting to run into more Heartless. Without fail a few waves of the monsters appeared around her and she took them out with ease. Reaching the opposite end of the courtyard she pushed open a wooden brown door that led to a back alleyway along a manmade creek.

"Haven't checked out here yet," she told herself as she closed the door behind her.

Hardly any light fixtures were along the alleyway like there had been in the other districts, allowing the stars in the night sky to show their light and illuminate Hinata's way. She walked along the creek, appreciating the calming ambiance of the rushing water. Only a few Heartless appeared for her as she went along, barely obstructing her path. As she reached the other end of the alleyway the door leading back to one of the Districts began to swing open. She instinctively hid behind a corner and readied her weapons. Leaning against the wall, she peeked around the corner seeing a short white duck wearing a blue waistcoat and hat enter the alleyway with a tall lanky black dog walking on two feet and fully clothed with a thick green long-sleeved shirt and long puffy yellow pants following close behind. Hinata raised an eyebrow at the sight as she loosened her tight grip on her blades.

The duck turned around and placed his winged arms on his hips. "Come on, Sora!"

"Sora?" Hinata whispered with surprise. She sheathed her blades and came out from her hiding place just in time to see Sora walk through the doorway. "Sora!" she chimed as she jogged towards him.

Sora perked up when he heard his name and looked around, grinning when he saw who called him. "Hinata!" he beamed. He laughed as Hinata ran up to him and gave him a tight hug.

"I'm so relieved to see you!" Hinata told him as she pulled away from the hug. "Riku and I have been worried sick about you!"

Sora smirked as he laced his hands behind his head, "Oh yeah? Well I've been taking care of myself just fine." He noticed his duck friend roll his eyes. "Hey!" he called him out while placing his hands on his hips.

Hinata laughed softly as she looked at Sora's companions. Both of them looked at her a bit warily, as if worried of her reaction to them. Smiling warmly at them, she introduced, "I'm Hinata, by the way. Who are you guys?"

The dog instantly smiled and stepped forward. "Nice to meet ya, Hinata!" he placed his white gloved hand over his chest and added, "I'm Goofy," he motioned to the duck, "and this is Donald!"

"Nice to meet both of you," she smiled, glancing between them.

Donald stepped forward and gave her a once over with his arms crossed. "How do you know Sora?" he asked warily.

Hinata arched an eyebrow at his obvious distaste in her but replied, "I lived on the island with him and Riku. When the island got… uh, well, destroyed, Riku and I ended up on the same world together but no one else from the island was with us."

"You and Riku ended up on the same world?" Sora asked, making Hinata look back up at him. "Where?"

"Some world called Hollow Bastion," she replied. "We've been looking for you and Kairi ever since."

"How did you get off that world?" Donald asked.

"We got a ship," Hinata told him.

"How?" he asked.

"It's sort of a long story," Hinata rubbed the back of her neck and frowned. "When we got to-"

"Wait," Sora interrupted excitedly, "You have a ship, too?! What other worlds have you been to?"

"Let's see…" Hinata held out her hand to count on her fingers, "Here, Hollow Bastion, Prydain, and this really strange place called Wonderland."

"You went to Wonderland?!" Sora exclaimed leaning forward. "We were there, too!"

"You were?" Hinata's eyes widened, "When were you-" she stopped short as she looked them over, suddenly remembering Alice's words. "Wait… did you see a girl named Alice while you were there?"

All three of them leaned forward with a unison, "What?!"

"You saw Alice?" Goofy asked.

"Do you know if she's alright?" Sora asked worriedly as he stood back up straight. "We were trying to save her from this evil queen but then she suddenly disappeared!"

"And then the Cheshire Cat said she'd been taken by shadows!" Donald added.

"Taken… by shadows?" Hinata repeated with a frown. She looked away as her heart sank. "That doesn't make any sense…" she muttered.

"Hinata?" Sora said her name with his head cocked to the side. "What's wrong?"

"Um, nothing, I think," Hinata tried to figure out how she was feeling. "Riku and I… we-" her voice cut off for a moment as she bit her bottom lip, but slightly shaking her head she finished, "We got her home."

They all let out a breath of relief as Sora told her, "Oh good. We were really worried about her. I don't know why that cat said Alice was taken by shadows!" He chuckled before adding, "It sounds like you and Riku have been up to all sorts of great things!"

"Something like that," Hinata strained a smile. Clearing her throat she changed the subject, "So what have you been up to? You three seem pretty close."

"Sora's the Keyblade Master!" Goofy informed her proudly as he placed his hands on Sora's shoulders.

"A what?" Hinata asked with a small laugh. "Can you pick locks really well or something?"

Sora scrunched his nose a bit from her jeering but stood tall as he held out his hand. He couldn't help but smirk at Hinata's slack-jawed reaction when the Keyblade appeared in his hand with a flash of light.

"What is that thing?!" Hinata asked once she found her words, not taking her eyes off of the blade.

"He already told you; it's a Keyblade!" Donald told her.

Hinata sent an unappreciative look to Donald before saying, "I mean, like what does it do? How did you get it?"

"Remember those strange dreams I mentioned having when we were making the raft?" Sora asked, making Hinata nod in response. "Well, in those dreams I had the Keyblade but it didn't appear in real life until the island was… well, you know…" he cleared his throat and continued, "But anyways, I ended up here in Traverse Town."

"And that's where we met him!" Goofy chimed in with a silly smile.

"Yeah!" Sora happily nodded and told her, "And they told me that if I came along with them and their rocket I could travel to different worlds to look for you, Riku, and Kairi, while using the Keyblade to find and lock the hearts of the worlds we go to."

"Lock the hearts of the worlds?" Hinata repeated, more confused than before.

"Locking the heart keeps those darkness fellers out!" Goofy explained.

"Oh!" Hinata's eyes lit up, "That's really awesome actually." She looked to Sora, "Pretty amazing you of all people are the one that ended up with it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked with a tiny pout.

Hinata chuckled before asking, "Well, is there anything Riku and I can do to help?"

"I already told the other guy," Donald spoke up, "Not a chance!"

Hinata looked down at him and crossed her arms while mumbling, "Why do I have the feeling that you're the reason Riku ran off?"

"What?" Donald quacked angrily.

"You can help out here if you want!" Sora stepped in front of Donald. "We're on our way to the Gizmo shop to ring a bell that's supposed to reveal the heart of the world!"

"We're hoping so, anyways," Donald added.

"A… bell?" Hinata slowly repeated. "It's really that easy to find the heart of the world?" She shook her head and added, "But, uh, yeah, sure! I'd love to help."

"Great!" Sora pumped his hand into the air with a grin. "Then let's get moving!"

He instantly began walking past Hinata, leading the way through the alleyway. Goofy instantly followed behind as Donald and Hinata paused to send each other glares. Hinata walked along with them until she felt her communication device suddenly vibrate. She abruptly stopped and unclipped it.

"I have to get this," she called ahead to Sora. "I'll catch up with you guys."

"Okie dokie!" Sora called back, still leading on.

Hinata went around the corner before answering the call. A small smile appeared on her face when Riku's image flickered onto the screen. "Hey," she greeted him. "You feeling better?"

He half-smiled at her and shrugged, "Not really, but Maleficent just told me we have another mission."

"No rest for the weary," Hinata sighed.

Riku scoffed, "Yeah, tell me about it. But, uh, we need to get going. Did you find Sora?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "I was just talking with him, Donald, and Goofy."

"Who?" He asked.

"Oh, his friends," she told him. "They're doing some really great stuff actu-"

"I don't want to hear about it," Riku cut her off.

"Oh, alright…" Hinata softly replied with a frown. "I was going to help them with something and then I'll head back to the main District."

"We don't really have time for that," he told her. "Just head back now, alright?"

Hinata's frown deepened as she obviously disagreed with him. But letting out a sigh she resigned, "Alright, fine. I'll head back now."

"Thank you," he replied. "See you soon." And with that, he cut the call.

With a long breath, Hinata re-clipped her device to her clothes and leaned her head back against the wall. "What's gotten into him?" she whispered, looking up to the sky.

Shaking her head, she pushed herself off the wall and walked out of the alleyway to the Second District. As she closed the alley door closed behind her, she scanned around the courtyard, not seeing Sora and his crew anywhere. Letting out a breath, she walked forward to the stone fountain along the wall that led to the upper floor of the District. She sat down on the stone railing around the fountain and placed her hands on the stone beside her.

"Riku's being ridiculous," she vented under her breath to no one in particular. "I can't just abandon Sora after I said I'd help." She looked around again before adding, "But then again, I have no idea where this Gizmo shop is supposed to be anyways, so it's not like I can be of much help. I just don't want to be back on the ship already."

Suddenly a loud chime of a bell rang through the air, almost making Hinata fall off her perch from the reverberation. She covered her ears and looked around, not seeing a bell in sight. The cringing sound of rock grating against rock behind her startled her out of her seat. She spun around to see the stone mosaic that decorated the back of the fountain beginning to turn to reveal a new purple mosaic. As it turned, the sides of it lit up and beams of fire came bursting out, making Hinata let out a yelp as she scrambled back even further.

"Is this what Sora was talking about?" She asked as she instinctively hovered her hands over the hilts of her blades.

The bell rang out again and the fire spouts immediately ceased, being replaced with bright blue and green light as the mosaic once again turned, revealing a green mosaic with white trees designed on its surface. A third time the bell rang out and water shot up from the fountain, creating an oddly beautiful light show as the mosaic turned one last time to a tan piece with elegant butterflies hovering around a simple pink flower. Hinata smiled at the new mosaic and began walking towards it, unexplainably feeling drawn to it. Before she could reach it, the seams of the picture began to shine brightly, causing Hinata to shield her eyes from the intensity. When she uncovered them, her eyes widened when she saw a shimmering purple aura around the mosaic with the outline of a keyhole in the center.

"It's… the heart of the world," she realized with a breathy laugh as she shook her head in near disbelief. "He was right." She spun around and scanned the area. "But… where is he?"

She walked out to the center of the courtyard, trying to figure out where Sora could be. She raised her hands to the sides of her mouth to call out for him, but was cut off when something large and heavy landed incredibly hard behind her, making the ground rumble beneath her feet. She stumbled forward and her heart instantly began to race. Taking a shaking breath, she slowly turned around to see a towering creature staring down at her with two glowing yellow eyes. It's entire body was made of primary colored armor. Its limbs, including its round head, floated a couple feet from its torso which was also suspended several feet off the ground. Sharp claws made up its hands, clinking them together as the massive creature stared back at Hinata. The heavy metal boots on its feet stomped on the ground, rumbling the earth with each step as it began to approach Hinata.

Hinata jumped back and pulled out her blades, "What the hell is that thing?!" she exclaimed before noticing a familiar heart insignia on its chest. "You're a Heartless?!"

"Hinata, get back!" Sora called out to her, making her glance back to see him running up with Donald and Goofy not far behind. Throwing out his hand he immediately summoned his Keyblade and called out, "Fire!"

The tip of his Keyblade began to glow a bright orange as a fireball suddenly shot out and honed in on the Heartless' chest, making it shake with a growl upon impact. Donald and Goofy stopped beside Sora and held out their hands, summoning their own weapons. Donald brought out a long, blue-handled magic wand with a small magician's hat on its end. Goofy held out a round silver shield with the outline of a mouse's head in the center.

"Go for the feet first," Sora ordered them. "Then we'll go for the hands!"

"Got it!" Donald and Goofy agreed as they immediately advanced.

"Wait, you've fought this thing before?" Hinata asked, looking at them bewildered while also glancing back at the Heartless that was heading their way.

"You kidding?" Sora looked over at her with his childlike grin. "We fight these types of things all the time!" Without letting Hinata respond he charged the giant Heartless, slamming his Keyblade against its giant boot before rolling out of the way of a stomp.

"Thunder!" Donald yelled out while holding his wand straight up. A bright electrical aura surrounded the top of the wand, sending a barrage of thin streaks of lightning down on top of the monster.

The creature shook as the electricity crackled over its entire body. Taking the opportunity, Goofy lifted his leg and flung his shield under it, bouncing the shield between the monster's feet before boomeranging back to Goofy as he caught it with ease.

"Alright then," Hinata nodded, tightening her hold on her blades as she ran forward.

Right before reaching the Heartless, she slid down to her knees and slashed both of her blades against its feet. She rolled out from under it and helped Sora slam down against its left foot while Donald and Goofy focused on the right. The Heartless let out a disgruntled cry and put out its claws, spinning them around its body like a deadly whirlwind. Hinata gasped as she saw the claws approaching and did a backhanded spring out of the way, but Donald wasn't quick enough and was caught in the attack. His feathers were caught in the monster's fingers as it flung him across the courtyard, landing hard against the wall.

"Donald!" Hinata called out in fright as she instantly ran towards him.

Sora ran ahead of her and ordered her, "I've got this! Get back to fighting!"

"What!?" she asked in near panic as she saw Donald's blood mixing with his white feathers. "Will he be alright?"

"He will be," he assured her, giving her a serious look. "Get back out there."

Hinata swallowed hard and reluctantly nodded as she turned back around and helped Goofy keep fighting.

Sora held up his blade and yelled out, "Heal!"

The tip of Keyblade shined a bright green as a glowing pink blossom appeared above Donald's unconscious body. A golden mist fell from the flower, melding into Donald's skin and instantly healing his wounds. Taking in a deep breath, Donald's eyes instantly shot open and he jumped up.

"Thank you!" Donald exclaimed to Sora as he already leapt back into battle.

Sora smiled as he also ran back, noticing Hinata's surprised expression when she saw Donald run past her completely healed. She glanced back at Sora, seeing his smug look and she smiled back while spinning her blades in her hands with a new confidence. As Donald summoned another spell of thunder, the Heartless fell to the ground in a pile.

"Get back!" Sora called out, making Donald and Goofy run back to him as Hinata hesitantly followed them.

"Why aren't we finishing him off?" Hinata asked as she ran back to the others.

"He's not done," he told her.

As if on cue, the Heartless began to shake violently as it lifted back into the air, this time moving its clawed hands down to its feet and its boots up to its shoulders.

"Oh," Hinata simply said. "That complicated things."

"We're still going to stick with attacking the feet," Sora told them. "You and Goofy go on the second level to hit the feet. Donald and I will use our magic."

"Right!" Donald and Goofy replied.

"Uh, sure?" Hinata agreed as she looked between them. "When did you become such the leader, Sora?" she asked him with a whisper.

Rather than reply, Sora simply sent her a smirk before running forward to attack. She watched him for a moment before doing as he ordered. Running up to the second level, she slashed the feet whenever she got a good angle. It was a slower process, but with Sora and Donald constantly bombarding the enemy with their spells, the Heartless was obviously weakening.

With one last fire spell from Sora's Keyblade, the left boot suddenly exploded into dozens of tiny green orbs. Hinata's eyes lit up when she saw them and she couldn't help but chuckle as she saw Sora, Donald, and Goofy scurrying after them as if they were their lifesource. A few of them landed near her and reaching out her hand towards them, they instantly drew to her and melded into her skin. She took a deep breath from the rush of adrenaline before getting back into the fight. Mere seconds later the other boot exploded and Hinata joined the others in collecting the orbs before jumping down to the first floor to help them attack the clawed hands.

Going by a similar strategy, they took out the claws, collecting the orbs as they scattered around. The Heartless was beginning to realize it was losing the fight as it began to move around the courtyard sporadically while shooting out blue energy beams. It moved so quickly that it proved difficult for them to get consecutive hits while they were also dodging its shots. It wasn't long until everyone was exhausted and out of breath as the extents of their adrenaline had been spent.

Sora jumped back and looked over at Donald, who caught his stare. Donald nodded towards Sora and held out his wand. In unison they called out, "Thunder!"

Both of their weapons glowed with a bright electric aura as streaks of lightning rained down atop the Heartless, making it howl as each hit made it fall closer and closer to the ground, until it fell into a heap, twitching as electric currents randomly coursed throughout its body.

"Now!" Sora yelled, charging towards the Heartless with his Keyblade.

Letting out battle cries, Donald and Goofy held up their weapons and did the same. Hinata looked at them for a moment before smirking and sprinting forward, stabbing her blade right in between the Heartless' eyes. The creature began to shake violently as they each gave their final blows, and a sudden, bright blue light began emanating from its body. Hinata stumbled backwards as she watched the Heartless float into the sky. Its head shook and fell into its body, finally letting out its last breath as it slowly disintegrated. Before it fully disappeared, a crystal heart floated up from its body before dissipating into a cloud of black smoke.

Hinata cocked her head to the side at the sight and sheathed her blades. Her heart was still racing and beads of sweat dripped down her skin. Trying to catch her breath, she turned to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy celebrating their victory over the Heartless. With a small smile she headed over to them.

"Sora," Donald exclaimed, interrupting their conversation. "The Keyblade!"

Sora looked at the Keyblade in his hand as it began to glow brilliantly.

Hinata walked up to them with her eyes fixated on the blade as she asked, "Why is glowing?"

Goofy put his hand to his chin, "I think that there Keyblade just got another spell."

Holding the Keyblade in the air, Sora grinned, "Yeah it did." Pausing he closed his eyes and focused. Then he yelled, "Wind!"

Suddenly a strong wind surrounded Sora and created some sort of whirlwind around him. Sora looked around himself slightly confused at what was happening.

"It's called Aero," Donald explained. "It works like a shield around whoever you cast it on."

"That's awesome!" Sora exclaimed excitedly as the wind slowly faded out.

The keyhole from the fountain shone brilliantly, catching their attention. Sora swung the Keyblade over his shoulder and walked over to it as Hinata stood with Donald and Goofy watching.

"So this is normal for you guys?" Hinata asked. "Fighting huge Heartless and stuff?"

Goofy laughed, "Heyup! Sure is! That's the job of the Keyblade Master."

"We've only found four so far," Donald informed as a bright laser shot from Sora's Keyblade into the keyhole. "There are so many more to find. The King says that the worlds are in danger, so wherever Sora goes, we go."

"I'm glad Sora has you guys," she told them, sending them a small smile.

They both smiled back at her before turning their attention back to Sora. The keyhole began to disintegrate once the light from Sora's Keyblade pierced it. Once it was completely gone, Sora let out a sigh and slung the Keyblade over his shoulder. It wasn't until then that Hinata could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He turned back towards his friends before noticing something at his feet. Bending down, he picked up the small blue gummi and walked over to the group.

"A gummi for the ship?" he asked as he handed the piece to Donald.

"It's a gummi alright!" Donald agreed. "But I have no idea what it's for!"

"Er, I bet Leon will know!" Goofy suggested.

Hinata listened to their conversation completely lost, but let out a breath and told them, "Well, I should probably get going. Riku's probably wondering where I am."

"Oh yeah," Sora turned towards Hinata and rubbed the back of his hair. "Do you have any idea what's up with Riku? He just ran off in the middle of us talking to him."

Hinata averted her gaze for a moment before admitting, "He's… been off lately. I think he was disappointed that you weren't coming with us and he wasn't really expecting you to be with anyone else. I'll talk to him about it."

"Thanks!" Sora chimed. "It was really great to see you! I'm relieved you and Riku are safe."

"Yeah, it was great to see you, too!" she agreed. "I wish we could all stay together."

"Yeah…" Sora uneasily replied, noticing the look Donald was giving him.

"But I get why we can't," Hinata added, giving Donald a small smile. "You have a really important job to do."

Sora smirked as he laced his hands behind his head. "Yeah, it's tough but someone's got to do it."

Hinata chuckled, "Yeah, and for some reason it's you." She smirked at the look Sora gave her before adding, "But in all seriousness Sora, you did a great job leading everyone with taking out that Heartless. I think you've grown up a lot."

Sora grinned, "Thanks!"

"Don't let it go to your head," she warned him before looking to Donald and Goofy. "It was nice to meet you both, and I hope we can see each other again."

"It was sure nice to meet you, too, Hinata!" Goofy told her. "Take care of yerself!"

"Will do," she sent them a small wave before turning around to walk away.

"Oh yeah, Hinata!" Sora called after her, making her pause. "Our friend Leon told us that there's this lady called Maleficent around town. She's supposed to be bad news. Be careful alright?"

Hinata's breath hitched from his words. "Maleficent?" she repeated with her voice vaguely shaking.

"She's an evil witch!" Donald told her.

"And she's the reason a lot of worlds end up bein' destroyed!" Goofy added. "With all them Heartless fellers!"

Hinata tightly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With a short nod, she told them, "Thanks… I'll be careful."

Without waiting for them to respond, she walked up the steps to the second level before going through the door leading back to the main District.

Her muscles ached as she made her way back to the main courtyard. She let out a yawn and rubbed her heavy eyes as she jogged down the stairs in front of the accessory shop before spotting Riku. He was leaning back against a black lamppost with his arms crossed. His fingers were drumming against his arm as he continually scanned the area with a frown on his face. The moment he caught sight of Hinata he pushed himself off the lamppost and jogged towards her.

"There you are," he sighed as he approached her. "I thought I told you to come back right away." He slowed to a stop as he reached her and looked her over, "What happened?"

Hinata looked down at herself, noticing a few rips in her clothes showing random cuts and bruises she had received during the fight. Letting out a breath, she told him, "I ran into a Heartless."

"We both did," he reminded her confused.

"Not like this one," she assured him while looking up at his concerned eyes. "I was on my way back to you but it sort of ambushed me. Without Sora and his friends helping me out, I'm not sure I would have been able to take it out."

"Sora helped?" Riku asked with a bit of a frown. When she nodded, he let out a breath and told her, "I'm just glad you're alright. I was starting to worry."

She slightly smiled before offering, "He's still here if you want to talk to him. I know Donald can be a little rude, but-"

"Hinata," Riku interrupted as he reached for her hand. "We don't have time. We're already late as it is."

She frowned and shook her head, "Riku, I don't think we should go back to Maleficent."

Riku scoffed as he released her hand and rubbed he bridge of his nose, "Hinata, we've been over this. I know you don't trust her-"

"Of course I don't," she cut him off. "And neither should you! She doesn't care about us finding our friends; she just wants to use us! Let's just stay here for a bit or why can't you just make the ship fly somewhere else? We could get rid of our communication devices and go back to Prydain or something."

"Then what about Kairi?" he asked her with an obviously annoyed voice.

"Sora's going all over the place; he might find her," she pointed out. "If you want, we could take the ship to different worlds, too, and try to find her ourselves. I just don't want to go back to Maleficent. She's up to something, Riku... You can't tell me you don't see it, too."

Riku let out an exasperated breath as he placed his hands on his hips and looked up towards the sky. His eyes caught sight of the multitude of stars above them and they sent a calming sensation through him. Looking back to Hinata, he calmly spoke, "Remember our talk back on Prydain about the stars in the sky being different worlds?" When Hinata nodded, he continued, "If that's true, then Kairi could be on any one of them. Even if we went to a different place everyday, there's hardly any chance we'll just happen to pick the one she's on. And even on the off chance we do end up on the world she's on, it's an entire planet. For all we know she could be in a different town than we end up in or on the opposite end of the planet itself."

He reached forward for her hands and continued. "I know you don't like Maleficent, trust me, neither do I. But after doing two missions for her, she knew exactly what planet Sora was on and where to find him. I don't know what she does to find out, but if we stay with her I know she'll find Kairi faster than we ever could." He placed his hand under her chin, turning her gaze up to his. "Let's just stay with Maleficent until she finds Kairi. Then we can take the ship and go wherever you want, alright?"

She stared back at him with uncertainty, but seeing the hopeful look in his eyes she asked, "You promise?"

He smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her. "I promise."


	21. Loss of Perspective

Chapter 21

 

Hinata sat in the cockpit chair, staring out the windshield at the white streaks of stars as the ship flew through space, back to Hollow Bastion. Her mind kept replaying the final warning Sora had left her with: stay away from Maleficent. She swallowed hard, her stomach twisting tighter the longer she dwelled on it.

"Hey…" Riku's soft voice brought her out of her thoughts as his hand landed on her shoulder. She blinked before looking up at him, her golden eyes meeting his bright blue ones. "You alright?" he asked once he got her attention.

She furrowed her eyebrows in thought and slightly averted her gaze with a frown.

"I'll take that as a no," he surmised as he moved to sit in the seat across from her. Leaning forward, he placed his arms on his knees. "What's going on?"

"I'm…" she began but her voice trailed off. She let out a small huff of breath and tried again. "I'm trying to figure things out."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"There's a lot going on I don't understand," she admitted as she leaned back in her seat and re-met her gaze with his. "I can't figure out why you're so upset with Sora, for one." Riku tensed from her words, but remained silent as she continued. "And… I wish I knew what Maleficent wanted us for. The longer we're working for her the more uneasy I get." She looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap; her fingers were chafed and cut from her most recent adventures. "I have a feeling that whatever she's using us for isn't good. I mean… we haven't seen or heard from Alice once since we brought her back."

"We haven't really had a chance to," he pointed out with an almost bored voice. "Hinata, I don't know how many times we can talk about this."

"I know," she agreed curtly with a long breath. "It's just… I can't help but feel that Maleficent's next mission for us is going to be bad. And I want you to know that if she wants us to do anything like what we did with Alice again, I'm not doing it. I'm not going to kidnap or hurt anyone."

Riku let out an exasperated breath and fell back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling as he ran his hand over his face. "Alright, fine," he told her shortly. "Do what you want." He abruptly got up from his seat. "But you being like this might keep us from finding Kairi." He began walking out of the cockpit.

"Excuse me," she stood up from her seat and caused Riku to pause in his steps. "I'm not going to put someone else's life, especially an innocent life, in danger just so some witch can tell me where to find my friends. Especially when I am fully capable of finding them on my own!"

"Fully capable?" he spun back around to face her with a glare. "Do you even remember what we just talked about before I beamed us back to the ship? Where the hell do you suggest we start looking for her? Do you seriously expect that Kairi is going to just happen to be waiting for us on the first planet we land on? That's not how it works, Hinata!"

"I know that-" she tried to defend herself before he cut her off.

"We have no idea where she could be," he continued with a raised angered voice. "For all we know, she could be in danger and needs our help as soon as possible." He stepped towards her and told her sternly, "I'm going to do whatever it takes to find her."

"Even if that means hurting other people?" she asked.

"Why the hell does it matter?" he countered.

"Why does it matter?!" she repeated incredulously. "Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"I hear myself just fine!" he growled before explaining, "I put the people I care about above everything else. You want to put your moral code ahead of Kairi go right ahead; I'll rescue her myself if I have to." With that, he turned back around and stormed out of the cockpit.

"Riku-" Hinata called after him, but the cockpit door slid closed, separating him from her. "Dammit…" she cursed under her breath as she placed her hand along the smooth silver door.

Turning around she leaned her back against the door and slid to the floor, letting out a long breath. Closing her eyes, she could imagine Riku sitting on the opposite side of the door, but she wasn't sure if she was merely wishing he was or if he was really there.

"Am I being ridiculous?" she asked with a quieted voice as she stared absently at the metal ceiling. "Why is he being like this?"

On the other side of the door in the living area, Riku was sitting on the floor. He leaned his back against the door and summoned Soul Eater, examining its details as he had already done dozens of times before. "Am I being too hard on her…?" he whispered, as if asking his blade. "Does it matter if she won't do the dangerous missions? I can handle them myself." He groaned and dispelled Soul Eater before placing both his hands behind his neck as he ducked his head between his knees. "Why does she have to make everything complicated?"

They stayed on opposite sides of the door for several minutes, both of them stewing and trying to figure out what they were going to do. Riku eventually got up from his seat on the floor and turned back towards the door. He stared at the button beside it for a moment before reluctantly reaching for it and pressing it. It lit up and slid the door open, causing Hinata to yelp surprised as she fell backwards, hardly expecting her back support to suddenly go missing. Riku jumped back as she fell and tried to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up into a smile. Hinata stared up at him on her back with embarrassed cheeks before scrambling to her feet and straightening out her clothes and hair.

Once she was standing back up straight, she cleared her throat and clasped her hands nervously in front of her as she averted her gaze from his, occasionally side-looking at him from the corner of her eyes. Riku did the same as he crossed his arms, trying to find the words to say to her. The longer they stood in silence, the thicker the awkward tension grew. Shaking his head, Riku abruptly stepped forward and grabbed Hinata's shoulders. With a small gasp she whipped her attention up to him, only to be met with his lips crashing into hers.

Ever so slowly, her tense body relaxed in his hold as she warmed considerably. Her hands unclasped and crept up to his chest, feeling his heart racing against her palms. Riku's hold on her shoulders also loosened as they slid up to the sides of her face, his fingers lacing into her hair behind her ears. He only pulled apart when he needed a breath of air and they breathlessly stared into each other's eyes, both apologizing without a word being said.

"What did we get ourselves into?" Riku broke the silence with a faint smirk.

Hinata slowly smiled back at him and breathily laughed. "I don't know, but we need to stop getting into fights like this."

"Agreed," he told her before pulling her in for another kiss. When he pulled away, he told her, "I don't care what you decide to do about the missions. I'm just going to support whatever you do."

Her eyes slightly widened in surprise and her smile grew as she simply replied, "Thank you. And…" The corner of her mouth barely tugged into a frown as she struggled to create the same sentiment. Taking in a breath, she replied, "I'm going to try to do the same thing for you."

He chuckled, "Thanks. I guess that's better than nothing."

"It's the best I can do right now," she admitted with a laugh in her voice.

He smirked and kissed her once more before stepping back and telling her, "Alright, come on, let's get those cuts cleaned up."

He led her to the bed with the sprawled-out first-aid kit still on top of its comforter. Hinata sat down and watched him as he grabbed the antibacterial ointment and squeezed a small amount into his palm. He sent her a small smile before rubbing it one some new cuts along her arms.

She winced from the sting before commenting, "You seem to be doing a lot better."

He glanced up at her, "What do you mean?"

"I mean… you were really upset before," she recalled, almost uncomfortably. "But now-"

"Hey," he interrupted her. "We're past it now. We don't need to talk about it anymore."

"Oh, right," she slightly frowned, but fell back to silence as he continued to treat her wounds.

He crawled to the other side of her to get her other arm before he asked. "So, what do you want to do after I'm done?"

She mulled it over for a moment before admitting, "Sleeping doesn't seem too bad."

He snickered, "Does sleep ever seem like a bad idea to you?"

She softly smiled, "Probably not. I'm always tired."

He looked up at her, noticing her downcast eyes. "You're really exhausted, huh?"

She slowly nodded. "That Heartless fight took a lot out of me. And getting cat naps on the ship between missions doesn't really cut for a good night's sleep."

"Yeah…" he agreed as he began rubbing the antibacterial gel onto a lengthy scratch along the side of her neck. Hinata closed her eyes and softly hummed from his touch. Riku's mouth twitched into a smirk as he took the opportunity and kissed her.

Hinata opened her eyes with a gasp and pulled back from his touch at first in surprise, but upon seeing Riku's face she smirked in return and leaned forward to kiss him.

When he broke away, he told her, "That was the last cut." He got up from the bed and held out his hand for hers. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

Without replying, she grabbed his hand and allowed him to help her up from her seat. Once she was up, Riku released her hand and went to the other bed, pulling back the comforter. He sat on the edge of the mattress and took off his shoes before pulling off his shirt and getting under the covers. Hinata let out a large yawn as she undid the ponytail her hair was tied in and took off her boots. She watched with a sleepy smile as Riku scooched over in the bed to allow her room. She happily took the invite and climbed onto the plush mattress, immediately feeling Riku's arms around her before she even pulled the comforter back up.

"Just a few days ago, being in the same bed with you seemed like a far off dream," Hinata spoke up with a tired voice.

Riku chuckled as he tightened his arms around her waist. "Yeah, I know. We were sort of forced to grow up a bit, huh?"

"I don't mind, though," she admitted as she turned to face him, leaning her cheek against his chest. "Not the romance stuff anyways."

"Hmm," he simply replied as he softly ran his hand up and down her back.

Before he could even think of a reply, she was already fast asleep in his arms. Once she was out, his cheery disposition began to fade. He laid beside her fully awake, scanning the bare room as his thoughts fell back to Traverse Town, seeing Sora with the Keyblade and hearing Maleficent's words echoing in his head… I'll help you find what you're looking for.

She had found him again on Traverse Town, shortly after he had found Sora and had called Hinata. Everything she had to tell him kept itching at his heart, festering inside of him and making him feel sick to his stomach. Closing his eyes, he could even hear her voice in his head.

"...While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he simply replaced you…"

"...He values them more than you…"

"...Forget that wretched boy… I'll help you find what you're looking for…"

He opened his eyes, feeling anger rising inside of him. "She doesn't know what she's talking about," he whispered as if to assure himself, "...right?"

Hinata slightly stirred from his words, nuzzling into him. "Are you alright…?" she asked him with a weak muffled voice.

He slightly smiled and kissed her forehead, "Yeah, don't worry. Go back to sleep."

"Alright…" she complied, easily falling back to slumber.

He listened to her peaceful breathing and felt his own heart calm from hers beside him. Closing his eyes he forced himself to think of happier things until he finally fell asleep.

The ship's intercom startled them awake hours later as it alerted them to their arrival back at Hollow Bastion. Once she realized it was only the ship, Hinata grumbled and buried her face back in her pillow, rather than Riku, who got up from the bed. He stretched his sore arms as he walked to the cockpit, his mind fuzzy as it still struggled to fully awaken. Looking out the windshield, he could see two stone walls along the back of the towering castle sliding apart to reveal the hangar bay. A deep rumble echoed around him, causing even the ship to slightly shake as the bay doors opened. He tightly grabbed a hold of the chair in front of him and watched as the ship slowly flew into the hangar. Once they entered the metal encased bay, Riku could already see the small distant figure of Maleficent; standing poised as ever with both her hands clasped around the orb on her staff.

Riku grimaced when he noticed her and turned around, heading back to the living area. He knelt down beside Hinata, who still remained snuggled under the comforter, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you might want to get up. Maleficent's waiting for us in the hangar."

Hinata let out a long breath, not attempting to hide her distaste as she sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. "Wouldn't want to keep her waiting." she mumbled as Riku stood back up to put his shirt and shoes back on.

"The sooner we hear about our next mission, the sooner we'll get to leave her again." Riku reminded her as she pulled on her boots at the foot of the bed.

"Let's just hope it's that simple." Hinata looked up at him with an unsure smile.

"One way to find out," he shrugged right before the ship abruptly shook as it landed.

Without pause, the entrance to the ship slid open and Maleficent walked in, a well worn frown on her green face. Hinata instantly tensed up as she entered and openly glared up at her, while Riku stood quietly with a hard to read expression.

"You're late," Maleficent simply told them as a greeting. "I would have hoped you had returned hours ago."

"I-" Hinata began to speak.

"We got held up," Riku stepped in with a short tone. "We made it back as fast as we could."

"Hmm…" Maleficent's frown only deepened as she spun around and walked out of the ship, expecting them to follow. "No matter, your next mission awaits."

Riku shortly glanced over at Hinata before going after Maleficent. "What type of mission is it this time?" he asked as he came out to the hangar bay.

His voice echoed through the vast metal room, mixing with their footsteps as Maleficent led the way out. Hinata hurried after them, quickly grabbing Riku's hand once she was beside him as if to make sure she wasn't left alone.

"That depends on your level of cooperation," Maleficent replied without looking back at them. "Or should I say, on Hinata's."

Hinata's expression contorted when Maleficent said her name; the sound of it rolling off her tongue made her feel sick to her stomach. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked curtly. She felt Riku's hand tighten around hers, as if telling her to remain silent.

Maleficent didn't reply, rather she continued leading the way in silence, only making the teens more uncomfortable by the second. She stopped in front of the large metal door that led out of the bay and tapped her scepter on the ground, the reverberation echoing through the room despite the seemingly soft tap. The door immediately slid open in response, leading them right into a dark room.

Hinata's heart began to race as she followed blindly into the almost pitch black room. As the

door slid closed behind them, a single light in the center of the room lit up: a dimly glowing blue orb floating atop a stone pillar. Around the orb stood two tall figures, their details difficult to make out. They both looked over at the group as they entered, their eyes almost glowing amidst the darkness. Blue flames shortly flickered atop one of the figure's heads, as if it were their hair. The other figure held a scepter similar to Maleficent's, yet it had two red, glistening eyes on the top, sparkling as it watched the teens come further into the room.

Hinata shortly stopped walking, instantly wishing for a way to escape back to the confines of the ship. Riku pulled on her hand, forcing her to begrudgingly move forward. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness they began to decipher different details about the people in front of them.

Maleficent stopped in front of the pillar in the center of the room and spoke up, "May I introduce you to Lord Hades and Jafar of Agrabah."

Hades was tall yet bulky, his skin was a lifeless gray and his long bony fingers strummed his beefy arms. His dark, chapped lips were turned into a scowl as he stared at the teens with glowing yellow eyes. A dark robe covered most of his body, billowing into a cloud at his feet. Hinata gulped before looking beside him to Jafar, a slender man with a long jawed face. A wiry black beard curled down from his rectangular chin and extravagant robes covered his dark-tan skin. Two beady eyes stared back at her from behind his almost beaked-like nose. In his hand, he held a golden scepter that resembled a cobra snake with two narrow ruby eyes looking wherever he pointed it.

"What do you want us to do?" Riku didn't pay either of the guest much mind and got straight to the point. He could feel Hinata's hand slightly shaking in his and made sure to keep his composure.

"You will accompany me to Agrabah to the Sultan's palace," Jafar spoke up with a slithery voice and looked right at Hinata, "and there you will perform for a banquet."

Hinata's eyes widened as Riku looked at her with confusion. "Perform?" she repeated with a soft voice as she shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. Perform what?"

"You fight with dao blades, do you not?" Maleficent recalled as she circled her hand over the glowing orb and brought up a moving image of Traverse Town, where Hinata and Sora were battling against the Heartless. The video showed Hinata doing various spins and attacks against the creature. "You are rather skilled with them."

Hinata looked up at Maleficent, bewildered by her compliment, as Riku asked, "What's that got to do with anything?" He didn't look up as he asked-instead, he watched the battle in the image, eyes focused on the Keyblade in Sora's hands.

"Certainly a routine with those blades will serve as an excellent performance," Maleficent replied with an almost unsettling kind voice.

"What?" Hinata asked, still not completely understanding.

Hades let out an audible sigh and motioned his bony hands in front of him. "Look, kid, you're getting asked to play around with those toy swords in front of a group. You in or out?"

Hinata whipped her attention to Hades and stammered, "I'm in… I-I guess. I just don't get why you want me to do it. It doesn't make any sense."

"You see," Jafar spoke up once again with an overly kind tone in his voice, causing chills to go up Hinata's spine. "A banquet is being held by the Sultan's orders, or really-" he smirked as he strummed his fingers atop his scepter. "My orders. There needs to be a performance that will captivate the audience while other events are carried out."

"Other events…?" Hinata hesitantly repeated.

"None that concerns you, I'm afraid," Maleficent brushed it off, sending Jafar a slight glare.

"So… that's the big important mission?" she asked them. She looked over at Riku, but his attention and gaze was still fixated on the glowing image. "You want me to perform at some banquet… that's it?"

"If you would rather I can devise a more life threatening mission to send both of you on," Maleficent told her.

Hinata looked up at her and then to the others with uncertainty in her eyes. "What's really going on here?" she asked them. "You aren't telling us everything."

"Sheesh," Hades rolled his eyes before he floated forward and flashed Hinata a sharp toothy grin. "Look, cupcake, all we're asking you to do is to do a little dance. No questions asked, capisce?"

Hinata frowned from his pet name, but looked beside her at Riku and spoke with a quieted voice, "What do you think?"

"What?" Riku finally tore his eyes away from the image, realizing he had completely missed what they were talking about.

"Do you think I should do it?" she asked him with a whisper. "Perform at the banquet?"

"That's up to you," he replied, glancing at the others, specifically noticing Hades' impatient expression. "If you're comfortable with it, I don't think there's anything to lose."

Hinata shortly nodded and thought it over before looking back to the others. "I'll do it, as long as you promise you aren't going to hurt anyone."

Maleficent smirked and placed her hand gracefully over her heart, "You have my word."

"Excellent," Jafar stepped towards Hinata with a grin on his face, showing off his long yellow teeth. He outstretched his scepter towards a lone, dark blue door along the wall. "Then, if you will, please follow me and I will prepare you for the performance."

When Hinata only stared at him with continued uncertainty, he drew back his scepter and turned it towards her. Its deep red eyes glistened, catching Hinata's attention. She couldn't explain it, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the ruby eyes of the serpent. Its eyes sparkled and almost seemed to glow before suddenly its light extinguished and Hinata shook her head, suddenly feeling clouded.

"Alright," she said as she looked back up at Jafar with a simple smile. "Lead the way."

Jafar simply smirked as he strode towards the door, swiping his long robes in a quick motion behind him. Hinata released her hold on Riku's hand, following after Jafar. Riku quickly spun around and grabbed her arm.

"You aren't taking her anywhere without me," he quickly cut in firmly, causing Jafar to pause.

"Riku, it's fine," Hinata assured him with a slight laugh in her voice. "Really. It's just a dance."

"What?" he shot his eyes to hers, noticing a strange glow in her eyes he hadn't seen before. "Are you alright?"

"Let her go, Riku," Maleficent spoke out to him. "There is more to discuss. She will be in capable hands."

"I-" he began to speak, slowly loosening his grip on her arm.

Before he could finish his thought, Hinata had continued walking, pulling her arm back from him and disappearing behind the door Jafar led her to.

"What did you do to her?" he asked with a low voice once the door had closed, his hands clenched into fists.

"Oh, nothing much," Hades shrugged. "Just a little nudge to get her to go along with the plan, that's all."

"She will be fine, I assure you," Maleficent added as Riku finally turned around, glaring darkly at each of them. "Now there is more we must discuss."

"So there is more than just a performance going on," Riku surmised, giving one last glance at the door Hinata had disappeared behind before reluctantly walking back to the stone pedestal.

"What, you really thought we'd be sending you pipsqueaks to put on a show with no ulterior motive?" Hades looked over at Maleficent and motioned his skeletal hands towards him. "I thought you said this kid had potential?"

"Potential?" Riku repeated, crossing his arms. "What's really going on?"

Maleficent let out an audible sigh as she looked away from Hades, down to Riku. Once her eyes met with his, she asked, "Did you not acquire a special blade the mission before last?"

Riku's eyes slightly widened as he looked between them. "How did you know?"

"Just show it," Hades hasted him.

He paused for a moment but held out his hand, summoning Soul Eater. He noticed their pleased smirks the moment it appeared.

"What do you know about it?" he asked them.

"Not much more than you do, I'm afraid," Maleficent informed him. "However, it does prove something I knew all along."

"What's that?" Riku looked up at her with uncertainty.

"That you indeed have the seeds of darkness within you," she told him plainly. "And if you would desire, I can aid in teaching you how to control it."

"Control… the darkness?" he asked with a slow quieted voice, feeling a sudden surge of an unexplainable power course through him. It was as if his entire body ached to feel the darkness, begging him for the adrenaline. He swallowed hard, unsure of what to think of the new founded feeling, but brought his eyes back up to Maleficent's, taking notice of the explicit joy burning in her eyes. "How?"

"Put out your hand," she instructed him.

Riku dispelled Soul Eater and did as she said. His opened palm was laid out in front of him and his pace quickened as he already felt something sparking. Maleficent held out her hand as well and suddenly it erupted with a ball of burning purple flame with a dense meld of darkness in the middle.

"Summon it," she simply told him. Riku opened his mouth to question her, but she explained, "Will it to appear, and it shall."

He frowned but averted his gaze to his hand, focusing on the strange energy he felt stirring inside of him. In his mind, he pictured the dark flames surrounding his hand and he closed his eyes. His heart beat loudly, being all he could hear. It swelled, making him take in a sharp breath, and a sudden surge of adrenaline coursed through him, driving to his palm. The moment he felt it reach his fingertips the adrenaline left him and a warm sensation encapsulated his entire hand. Opening his eyes, his lips turned upwards into an instant grin. The same purple flames covered his hand, flickering and sparking at his command.

"What is it?" he asked, once he found his voice, unable to tear his eyes away from the phenomenon.

"Dark fire," Maleficent informed him with a slight sense of pride laced into her voice.

"Cool," he replied quietly, clenching his hand into a fist, making the fire fizz out of existence. As it disappeared, a small amount of energy escaped him, making him suddenly feel a bout of exhaustion and an instant thirst for more. "What's next?" he asked, eager to learn more.

"Woah, woah, slow down, kid," Hades spoke up with a sarcastic chuckle. "One thing at a time, alright? You still need to hear about the rest of the mission."

Riku instantly tensed up as he put his hand back down at his side. "Let me guess-you aren't going to teach me more until the mission's finished?"

"It does seem like a fair trade," Maleficent told him with a smirk.

He let out a breath and shook his head, "Alright, fine, what is it?" he asked, prepared to hear out their plans.

...

In the dark halls, Hinata joyfully followed Jafar as he silently walked ahead of her. For the first time since the island had been destroyed, she felt downright giddy. A skip was in her step and she gazed at her surroundings with a fanciful smile on her face. Silky cobwebs hung from the corners of the walls, lacing between the picture frames and the green fire-lit torches that glowed brilliantly.

Jafar slowed his quick pace at a pair of double wooden doors with golden trim along the worn wood. He pushed them open, causing a billow of dust to rise in the air, making him and Hinata cough. The dark room they entered illuminated as a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling lit up. Clear crystals hung from every metal facet, sparkling their light around the grand room. Hinata quickly went in, taking note of the marbled floors that were scuffed and marred, yet still shined and reflected the chandelier above.

"What is this place?" she asked with an almost childlike delight, spinning in place to take everything in. She went over to the wall, running her hand along a thick velvet curtain that draped from the cracked marbled pillars that lined the room.

"This is where you will practice for your performance," Jafar informed her as he strode further into the ballroom, shutting the doors behind them. "You will be dressed in traditional Arabian garb."

She turned towards him as he approached her and smiled curiously. He no longer appeared frightening to her, but rather interesting. His stature was royal compared to villainous as she had before assumed. Meeting her eyes with his, she asked, "What does it look like?"

Reaching into the cloth belt that was tightly wrapped around his waist, he pulled out a cloudy glass vial filled with a purple sparkling dust. Hinata watched with interest as Jafar easily took off the tiny cork lid and poured the contents into his bony hand before tossing it at Hinata. She gasped as the dust exploded into a cloud around her, making her cough and shield her eyes.

"Take a look for yourself," Jafar told her after a few moments.

She slowly opened her eyes, seeing the cloud of dust had disappeared. Bringing her gaze down, she gasped at the sight. Her once torn and plain clothes had changed completely. A tight royal purple top with oversized sleeves cascading off her shoulders, cut off at the bottom of her ribcage, baring her entire midriff. The neckline plunged, exposing more cleavage than she felt entirely comfortable with, but a thick golden barred necklace cleverly hid a majority of it. Similar styled bracelets jangled loosely on her wrists, clinking together with every move she made. Low on her hips were the pants, matching the hue of the top perfectly; they were tight around the top but then parachuted down with a sheer fabric, making her legs visible underneath with the right lighting, before meeting into a tight wrap above her ankles. Golden sandals adorned her feet, studded with various shining blue and violet jewels that matched the earrings dangling on either side of her face. Her long red hair was thickly braided down her back, laced with golden threads that shimmered with every movement, attaching to a golden crown that went across her forehead with a single purple jewel hanging down from the center.

"Wow…" she eventually managed to breath out in amazement. "This is traditional in your world?"

"You are performing," he reminded her with a slithery voice, taking no shame in looking her over head to toe, unbeknownst to her.

"That's true," she realized, "My outfit should be a little more showy than other girls."

"Do you have any routines suitable for the performance?" he inquired.

She thought for a moment, clasping her hands around the hilts of her blades that were sheathed around her hips. With a short nod, she replied, "I think so. I have a couple ideas."

"Well then, perform them."

She nodded again and happily obliged, jogging to the center of the room as she unsheathed her blades. Closing her eyes, she instantly fell into one of her many memorized dao blade routines, yet she found herself having a hard time focusing on the many aspects. Everything in her mind was clouded and all she had remaining was an overwhelming sense of happiness. Despite the fogged memory, she was able to flow her movements together enough to create something somewhat cohesive and enjoyable to watch.

"Excellent," Jafar told her with a large grin that would have normally hugely unnerved her, yet it only made her smile in return.

"You think so?" she asked him, as she walked towards him and put away her blades. "I was having a hard time focusing," she admitted with a slight chuckle. "It was like my mind was clouded or-" her voice trailed off and she tightly shut her eyes while she brought a hand to her face. "My… head…"

Jafar's eyes widened and he tapped his scepter on the floor, causing Hinata to jump as she whipped her attention back up, her eyes falling back on the snake's ruby eyes that seemed to bore into her.

"You were saying?" he asked her.

"Uh- nothing," she slightly shook her head and looked back up at him while letting out a small laugh. "I don't even remember, honestly."

"Happens to all of us, I assure you," he told her with his own smooth laugh.

She laughed in return and looked around the room, "So, is there anything else I need to do to prepare? Or can we head back to the others?"

"Whatever you wish," he replied.

She shrugged, "I'd like to head back." Letting out a short giggle, she added, "I can't wait to see how Riku reacts when he sees me in this."

Jafar coughed out a strained chuckle and held out his arm for her to lead the way. The moment she passed him, his smile immediately vanished and was replaced with an annoyed scowl and the faintest eyeroll.

…

"Are you prepared for what must happen?" Maleficent inquired of Riku, her voice and gaze stern.

Riku licked his lips and nodded, "Yeah, I got it."

"When you are in Agrabah, you are to follow every order Jafar gives you," she continued. "Only then will you be led to your last remaining friend and I will further your instruction in controlling the darkness inside you."

At the mention of his darkness, a faint surge of power stirred in his heart, making him smirk. "Alright," he simply replied, looking up at her and Hades, who was boredly half-listening to the conversation. "What about Hinata? She won't get hurt, right?"

"We gave her the simple distraction precisely to keep her from it," Maleficent assured him with a frown.

"Yeah," Hades cut in with a scoff as he pointed one of his fingers towards Riku. "But you better be thankful we're doing anything at all for that little smoochy-face girlfriend of yours. If it were up to me she'd get a one-way ticket to my domain, which-spoiler-is the Underworld."

Riku instantly glared at him and spat, "I'd like to see you try."

"While Lord Hades is out of turn," Maleficent sent Hades a warning glance, "he does have a valid point."

"What is it?" Riku asked, turning his attention up to her.

"She poses a threat to the mission," she informed him."Every mission in fact."

"What do you mean?" he shifted his weight a bit uncomfortably, not fully wanting to hear the answer.

Maleficent waved her hand over the glowing blue orb in the center of the room and it instantly transformed to a scene only hours before where Hinata and Riku were arguing in the cockpit of the gummi ship. Riku's eyes widened as he quickly moved towards the image, his heart stuck in his throat.

"It's just…" Hinata spoke in the scene, "I can't help but feel that Maleficent's next mission for us is going to be bad. And I want you to know that if she wants us to do anything like what we did with Alice again, I'm not doing it. I'm not going to kidnap or hurt anyone."

The scene continued playing but with mute voices and Riku swallowed hard, feeling a thin layer of nervous sweat on the back of his neck.

"You've been spying on us..." he realized with a quiet voice. "That's how you knew I found Soul Eater."

"It seems Hinata doesn't share the same vigor for missions as you," Maleficent told him, ignoring his words. "She said so herself."

"She doesn't mean anything by it," Riku shook his head and brought his gaze up to her almost pleadingly. "She's just worried."

"Seems to me like she's ungrateful," Hades chided, smirking at Riku's glare. "Look, kid," he moved forward and wrapped his arm around Riku's shoulder, much to his dismay, "how do I put this lightly…? Your little smoochy face is only getting in your way. Why you put up with it… I don't know. But I do know that you could do a whole lot better without having to worry about some whiny-brat following you around everywhere."

Riku growled and shoved Hades away, "I can take care of myself. She's fine."

"Woah, touchy," Hades chuckled as he put up his hands in fake surrender and backed off. "I was just putting in my two cents."

"Well, I don't remember asking for it," Riku bit back.

The sound of a door opening cut into their conversation and Riku quickly spun around, instantly losing his breath when he saw Hinata come back into the room. His eyes had accustomed to the darkness in the room and he could fully see her new attire. His entire face warmed as everyone else in the room seemed to fade away and he walked towards her, taking her hands in his and holding them out to her sides so he could get a better look at her. He took in every detail and then brought up his eyes to meet with hers. Glittering golden eyeshadow adorned her eyelids, bringing out the gold already in her eyes, yet Riku could still see the odd unfamiliar glow in them that caused an uncomfortable twist in the pit of his stomach. She awaited his response silently with a nervous expectant smile on her face.

He smiled at her and squeezed her hands, "You look amazing."

She slightly turned her head to avert her gaze as her cheeks blushed and opened her mouth to reply.

"Bleck!" Hades suddenly blurted, breaking them out of their trance and Riku instantly turned around with yet another glare. Hades overly exaggerated a gag as he stuck his finger down his throat.

Hinata giggled, causing Riku to look back at her in complete surprise. "Oh please," she rolled her eyes, "What were you expecting having me come out in this get up?"

"Eh, I sort of had the hope you wouldn't come back," Hades replied with a wistful sigh.

Maleficent cleared her throat. "If you are ready, Hinata, you all shall be on your way."

"Alright!" Hinata chimed to her with a smile. She noticed Riku frowning as he stared at her and turned her attention to him. "What's wrong?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find the words. Eventually he turned his head away and just told her almost ashamed, "It's nothing."

Suddenly, a smoky black portal grew out of the ground just a few feet in front of them. It stood more than six feet tall in an oval shape, pulsating with swirls of dark blues and purples mixing with the dense darkness.

"What is that?" Hinata asked.

"Your way to Agrabah," Maleficent informed her before looking right at Riku. "It will be your next lesson."

"Next lesson?" Hinata repeated, looking at Riku with curiosity.

"Y-yeah," he slightly stammered uncomfortably before clearing his throat. "She's uh-"

"She's teachin' him how to control the darkness inside of him," Hades finished for him with a bored tone.

"Oh," Hinata realized as she squeezed Riku's hand with a grin on her face. "Why didn't you just say so, silly?"

"W-what?" he asked aghast. "You don't care?"

She shrugged, "Bedivere mentioned you had darkness. Why wouldn't you use it?" Giving him a peck on the cheek, she released his hand and waltzed right into the portal, disappearing the moment she stepped into it.

Riku stared at the portal with his mouth slightly agape, Hinata's words ringing in his mind. "What did you guys do to her?" he asked them again with a low voice.

"She'll be fine," Hades assured him, waving him off. "It'll wear off. Just enjoy it for a bit! Having her agree with you for once might be nice, huh?"

Riku shook his head with a scowl, but walked forward, disappearing into the portal with Jafar not far behind.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying it so far. As stated in the summary, this is a re-write of my fully completed story, "True Friends", that you can find on FanFiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11049942/1/True-Friends  
> The original version is much rougher than this one, as it was my first time picking up writing in quite a long time. 
> 
> Anyways, I am really excited that I can share my improved version on this site!  
> Have a great week! And thank you again for reading!


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